Being that Christmas was coming, I began decorating my home early with bows. I stuck a red bow on anything that didn't move. Enough red bows, silk roses, lace and baby's breath were "hung with care" to make any Best Little Whorehouse in Texas proud. I cleaned windows. I hung more bows. My floors shined. I clothes shopped with a tween grandchild til we both dropped and was enjoying planning my Christmas menu. Evenings were spent gathering up baking needs and squirreling away goodies for a family and friends get-together. It was Christmas!
As I sat making just a few more bows (at this point, even the dog wasn't safe and the cat had her suspicions), I contemplated, somewhat, about what Christmas has meant to my family over the years, through the hard times and the good times, and how hard Christmas can be for those less fortunate and those depressed. I found time to think about Baby Jesus who was born, in my opinion, just not during the month of December. Time was spent thinking about family and friends who had passed on, or I supposed, passed back, to whence they came. Calls were made to old friends. I found a little more money in my pocket this year for store front Santa volunteers. Hobby Lobby loved me. I was in the mood. It was looking to be a very Merry Christmas. I finished up my decorations, topped off the tree. I was ready for the holidays. I ordered my ham. Then BAM!!! Someone stole my Christmas.
You can imagine my shock and awe upon learning that "meanie liberals" were trying to abort Baby Jesus from Christmas. You can easily imagine who said such a thing. God bless her, this woman needs all the help she can get. So did I, in getting my stolen Christmas spirit pulled back together again. I was pissed off at Sarah Palin.
Palin not only blew the joy out of my holiday mood but, her entire line of hateful, vile rhetoric blew - projectile chunks. She surpassed even herself this time with a new level of spiteful, inflammatory idiocy. That "twit needs to step away from the Twitter," I said to myself and out loud I couldn't help but say "How rude"... Part of an old Lennon song ran through my mind. "So, this is Christmas and what have you done?"
I thought then about how the hard religious right goes to extreme lengths to twist words like abort and tries to control more than just the words marriage and conservative. How they they go to hateful extremes in order to push hateful rhetoric at the extreme among us and, even push discriminatory laws against women - and minorities if they could get away with it. As dark as Mother Mary was, if she fell off her donkey today, the 'conservative' Republican Party would demand trans-vaginal probes and criminal investigation if she miscarried early in her term due to a resulting injury. You think that's 'silly'? Hell, they don't believe in condoms and are against birth control pills, even if the parents can't afford Christmas presents. Now, that's silly. They worship Baby Jesus but won't feed a living child, not if it costs them a tax dime. Now, that's a sin.
"And so this is Christmas...The world is so wrong."
I thought a few things about Ms. Sarah Palin, too. Apparently, Palin didn't stay in office long enough to get the memo RE: Christmas is not under the control of, nor dictated by, the Wasilla Assembly of God, et. al. and/or Ms. Sarah Palin. She didn't get a chance to read that as private citizens certain private decisions of others are none of her beeswax.
"And, so happy Christmas...for black and for white, for yellow and red ones..Let's stop all the fight"
So what if I confuse the neighbors with my bows, my tree with it's White House ornaments and Chinese lights. I get confused enough, myself, trying to figure out how, in the spirit of the season, saying "Happy Holidays!" with a smile on my face to any stranger is an insult. I thought wishing happiness throughout the season was spreading the joy that is supposed to be Christmas and/or Jesus. It doesn't matter, I'll say it anyway and I've not had anyone frown back or gruff at me, so far.
It doesn't matter if anyone doesn't understand the Hanukkah candles in my window or Korean food alongside country ham and vegan deli food. Some, including Sarah Palin, may be uncomfortable with my Native American wreaths or even my guests. But it really doesn't matter. Not even what Sarah Palin says matters. It's not Ms. Palin's home, it's not her family, not her celebration, certainly not her say and simply not just her Constitution. If we repeat this often enough, Sarah Palin and her fundamentalist groupies will mayhaps get a Christmas clue. Santa should bring them one.
It was a good song remembered, "War is over over.. if you want it.. war is over..." I suppose the bitching is over, too, for now. Yes, this is Christmas.
So, Feliz Navidad. Happy Hanukkah. Merry Christmas darlin', Danistahohihv and a Happier New Year to all, especially to Rob and the contributing authors of OEN. A very Happy Holidays to all, even you, Ms. Palin.
"And so this is Christmas! I hope you have fun... "
This IS Christmas guys, so don't let the grinches out there steal it from you, however you celebrate, whether you celebrate or not, no matter who you celebrate it with, Santa or not. Enjoy! Even if someone does steal your plastic Baby Jesus.
