C IS FOR CHRISTMAS

 C is for Christmas. It had to be, didn't it, given the time of year. 

Pretty well everyone who knows me knows my views about Christmas as it is mostly celebrated in today's society; I've lost a number of friends because of my frank expression of those views. I'm okay with that, though. If a person can't handle the fact that you have different opinions, she isn't much of a friend. Most civilised strangers can manage that much, after all. To recap, though, for anyone who hasn't heard me holding forth about the Satanic Greedfest, the modern push push push of relentless consumerism, and the celebration of greed, gluttony and mindless conformity turns my stomach. Sure, it's nice to have a happy get-together with family and/or friends, to share a meal, to exchange some gifts, all good. But we take it to excess and excess in anything is usually harmful. Take, for  example, the attitudes one encounters about food on Christmas Day. Having eaten as much roasted meat, veg etc as I wanted, you would think it would be reasonble to decline the offer of a huge bowl of plum pudding, wouldn't you? Especially when aside from having already eaten enough, I say I don't even LIKE plum pudding? Apparently not. You are supposed to force it down like a goose in a foie gras factory. I say no, which makes me a scrooge and also a grinch, whatever that is. 

I make no secret of the fact that for me, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ. Appropriate celebrations mainly happen in church, although there's that yearly outing to hear a Messiah, I always look forward to that. This year, the dates didn't work out so we will have to listen to a recorded one, but Robert and I will make that a special date night and we'll put it on in our sitting room wtih appropriate ceremony. A quiet day with extended family, a few gifts and a nice lunch, and we're good. 

I know this isn't enouugh for everyone, and even though I think it SHOULD be enough for everyone, we all have a right to do things our own way so I'm not running about preaching. That's not what I am doing here. All this preamble is by way of context, leading to what I'm going to say next.

C is also for Crisis, Calamity, and other things of that nature.

On 25 December, as we loll about getting stuffed and drunk and picking fights with our rellies, someone near us is going through hard, hard times. Someone is celebrating his or her first Christmas alone. Someone's dad won't be home in time for Christmas even though he promised. Someone hasn't enough to eat. Someone doesn't even have a roof over his head or a safe place to sleep. And that's just the humans. More and more lately, people are surrending elderly animals to shelters to make room for a new puppy or kitten. This shameful activity peaks just before Christmas, because the kind of people who can do this regard their animal companions as chattels, and are fine with giving them as Christmas presents.

C is for Challenge.

My challenge to you, to us all, is in these last few weeks leading up to the big day, that we keep our eyes peeled. We look out for someone who's alone for Christmas. A bereaved person, one who's recently moved to our area, a new immigrant who doesn't know anyone yet. Someone homeless. Someone unpopular. And we INVITE them into ours. It isn't hard to set an extra place at the table, and even find a small gift. We always have way too much of everything anyway, don't we, people? Too much of everything is a kind of understood thing at Christmas. And they won't be in the way, I promise. It will enrich your Christmas, for you and everyone involved. You might make a new friend; you'll certainly make memories. 

Do it for me, okay? Just try it.