My Christmas Wish List

The Christmas season is a cool time of the year. If for no other reason, than extra days off, and a temporary reduction in the amount of work, unless of course, you are in retail sale, but then “Christmas” usually brings a bigger pay check, or more sales for a company like Komodo Gear (www.komodogear.com)! Now those who know me may think it strange that I do not give the typical religious “lead in “ about the birth of Jesus, and all that stuff. But the reality is that Christmas for many folks is a dreaded and painful time of the year. And the really sad fact is, many of those people are our friends and relatives and we do not even realize it!
Over the past fifty to seventy years, America has become a yearlong “costume party”. We try to be who we think others want us to be, regardless of how miserable it makes us feel. This “image driven” life style fosters superficial relationships and short term business plans. We tend to excuse our voluntary sacrifice of happiness by waiting until we get that new car, better job, more attractive “significant other”, or a thousand other things that keep us from doing what is important to build lasting relationships with the important people in our lives. What a lot of us do, is paint a pair of pajamas to look like a leather race suit, and the wonder why we get a severe road rash when we crash.
So one of my Christmas wishes is that all of us look around at the remaining parties and family gatherings for signs of unhappiness, or ‘connect the dots” of things that have transpired over the last year that have impacted people’s lives. If you notice someone who seems distracted or sad, go over to them and say something nice, or bring them into the conversation. If a friend or relative comes to mind because of a tragedy in their lives, give them a call and make sure they have people around them who care this Christmas. Let’s look beyond ourselves this year!