06 Dec 2009, 2:14 pm
Are you counting the days til Christmas is over?
dossa
Veteran
Joined: 24 Aug 2009
Age: 47
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,590
Location: The right side of my couch...
07 Dec 2009, 10:58 am
bonuspoints
Veteran
Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Posts: 598
Location: Washington state - *Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?*
07 Dec 2009, 1:47 pm
Sorry, I love the season. My liking has little to do with the commercialization that has all but taken it over. I try to hang on to the few shards of peace and contentment and care for others that this time of year brings about. Mr. Dickens phrased it well:
"I am sure I have always thought of Christmastime, when it has come round"— "as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."... "And therefore"..."I believe that it has done me good and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
You may now proceed to blast my naivete. 
Happy Christmas!
07 Dec 2009, 6:57 pm
"I am sure I have always thought of Christmastime, when it has come round"— "as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."... "And therefore"..."I believe that it has done me good and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
You may now proceed to blast my naivete.
Happy Christmas!No, I wouldn't
. As a matter of fact I'll see your naivete' and raise you a Pollyanna. What bugs me besides the commercialism is that it doesn't occur to people that peace and goodwill are valuable concepts all year round. It makes the "scheduled" good cheer seem false. Like that story about the soldiers in WW1 stopping to celebrate Christmas together before they went back to killing each other. 
richardbenson
Xfractor Card #351
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Gender: Male
Posts: 13,553
Location: Leave only a footprint behind
07 Dec 2009, 8:12 pm
bonuspoints
Veteran
Joined: 23 Aug 2009
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Posts: 598
Location: Washington state - *Do I get bonus points if I act like I care?*
07 Dec 2009, 9:51 pm
"I am sure I have always thought of Christmastime, when it has come round"— "as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."... "And therefore"..."I believe that it has done me good and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
You may now proceed to blast my naivete.
Happy Christmas!No, I wouldn't
. As a matter of fact I'll see your naivete' and raise you a Pollyanna. What bugs me besides the commercialism is that it doesn't occur to people that peace and goodwill are valuable concepts all year round. It makes the "scheduled" good cheer seem false. Like that story about the soldiers in WW1 stopping to celebrate Christmas together before they went back to killing each other. I agree completely! I was actually going to include a quote in my last post to accompany that sentiment (again from A Christmas Carol, I love the book!
‘I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach."
Cheers!
07 Dec 2009, 10:06 pm
I think Christmas would be more meaningful if the gifts were kept small and as a symbolic gesture only. The irony is that we go into this spending frenzy to celebrate the birth of a teacher who spoke of the obsessions with possessions being a hindrance in the road to spiritual maturity. Just ask Buddha.
07 Dec 2009, 10:34 pm
