Fixing a cup of Sugar Plum Spice Tea …Takes only a moment!

I am very much a Christmas Person.
I Love It!
All of It!
I Love the Brightness of the Faerie Lights at the onset of Winter!
I Love the Kindness!
It also helps that my Partner is the Living Personification of the character of ELF that WILL FARELL played in the Movie.

I Love the Madness of Family Get Togethers —
Seeing Relatives I haven’t seen in a year, when I am at my absolute worst — Tired and Bleary-Eyed and Feeling Overweight!
I Love the torpid wee hours of the morning wrapping presents for people I Love!
I Love creating some inspiring Christmas Card story that doesn’t usually manifest until Valentine’s Day or sometimes Easter!
I hate SantaCon.
Last WeekEnd was SantaCon.

One of many Drunk Santa-Con-Artists passed out in Penn Station last Saturday for the children to see

C’mon! Using Christmas as an Excuse to get drunk and fall down in the street, plastered.
It seems ingenuous, Reactive — not in keeping with the Spirit of this Holiday — taking a hatchet to the Holiday and smashing it just for the sake of ruining it,
They were out in ill-fitting Bright Red Suits and wreaking a bit of havoc, creating a kind of PottersVille.
I Choose Bedford Falls!
I was spending time with MAMA who is approaching 90.
I choose “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!”
And that’s the thing: You get to choose!

Do you wanna’ run through the snow calling out, “Merry Christmas, You Beautiful Building And Loan!!!” or do you choose to sit at your desk and count your money and snarl like a curmudgeon, “And a Happy New Year to you! In Jail!”
It’s Your Choice!
Christmas is just a Week Away.
Create the Christmas you would like to have!
You want Bright Lights?
Hang a string — takes five minutes!

We wear our Christmas Socks to Work! It brings us Cheer!

You want to have a Lot?
Give a Lot!
As THE COURSE IN MIRACLES tells us, “Having rests on Giving, and not on Getting.”

Want to feel some Christmas Spirit?
Go and Help someone in need.
Offer some Kindness.
Create some Holiday Magic where it is least expected.
…Can be a simple thing!

Nuthin’ sayin’ we can’t don a Santa Hat while we work

Commercially, the Season is rushed to create a kind of buying frenzy.
But Actual Christmas?
It happens Simply.
And without Pressure.
It’s Fun.
It’s not a StressFest.
It’s a MagicFest!

Sometimes we pause in the middle of work to listen to our friend & colleague’s favorite Christmas Carol from when he was a Child — This is us on the “Ole’ Ole’ Ole'” part

When I was a kid, the Tree went up Christmas Eve.
(SANTA brought it!)
There was no “Black Friday.”
(And if there was, nobody paid any attention to it!)
You didn’t even think about Christmas until around December 15^th…
Then, all of a sudden (and at the same time feeling it had taken forever to arrive), there was a rush of excitement…
‘In just over a week, it’s Christmas!’
You began to make a List and shop for some presents.
You might decorate a little bit the weekend before — certainly not more than a week in Advance!
SANTA brought the Tree.
It was simply decorated and went up Christmas Eve Night.
You would often Make Gifts!
MOM sewed and DAD assembled toys.
It was FUN!
It was MAGIC!
And there was No Pressure!
It was something you did because you wanted to do it!
It was all focused around the day itself.

The SEE’s Candy Order arrived last night! Ready for Treats…

So, if you’re like me, and you are Crazy Busy at Work right now and feeling like you are way behind because you haven’t started it yet,
It’s Not Too Late!
In fact, you’re Way Earlier than we used to do it!

So have your Christmas!
Choose Christmas!
It is yours for the Taking!
…Yours for the Making!

Maybe you wanna’ bake a batch of cookies or Pumpkin Bread this Weekend?
Maybe you wanna’ pick up a Christmas Tree and decorate it?
Maybe you wanna’ Volunteer at some Holiday Event at a Soup Kitchen or Homeless Shelter?

Maybe you don’t have 60 days to prep for Christmas,
But maybe it doesn’t take that!
It’s still over a week away.
In the Sixties, we were just beginning to think,
“Hmmmmm…. What would I like to do for Christmas this year?”

A spontaneous purchase while at TRADER JOE’s — There will be some Kissin’ this Christmas!

# # #