“I wish we could put up some Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month,” (Harlan Miller, Better Homes and Gardens).
Or open as needed.
We all have our own ideas of what constitutes the Christmas spirit. Traditionally it is peace, love and goodwill. If that seems a bit much, what about just being kind to each other?
I recently had a call from a person who had something nice to say, and she added if I didn’t need cheering up at that particular moment, put the thought in a piggy bank to take out when I did.
Let’s do that with the Christmas spirit.
Maybe it’s an age thing for me, but is Christmas getting less Christmassy every year? I really had to hunt this year to find Christmas cards that had anything to do with the birth of Christ which is, after all, the reason for the holiday. Reindeer and Santas and cute kittens are all very well, but surely a card with Baby Jesus on it isn’t going to offend anyone.
Sunday’s fog wasn’t very cheery either. It’s supposed to be snowy, not foggy, this time of year.
No one can complain about the spirit of giving. It’s alive and well in Williams Lake with so many activities geared to filling the food bank shelves and children’s empty stockings. It is sad though that in this wonderful country of ours, that this kind of giving is necessary.
The following gift suggestions come from the late U.S. journalist Oren Arnold.
To your enemy — forgiveness. To an opponent — tolerance. To a friend — your heart. To a customer — service. To all — charity. To every child — a good example. To yourself — respect.
I would add: to your enemy — respect. To your opponent — a hug. To yourself — honesty and hope. Lots of hope. Merry Christmas.
Diana French is a freelance columnist for the Tribune. She is a former Tribune editor, retired teacher, historian, and book author.