The Christmas Truce
History holds that during Christmas of 1914, during World War I, troops from both sides (French and English vs. Germans) called a truce during the war. The belief is that the Germans set up signs in broken English that said, "You no fight, We no fight." There was an exchanging of gifts and even a few impromptu soccer games. This is my paraphrase. If you want to learn more about the story, Google it.
Where is this kind of spirit now? Men were able to set aside their differences and remember what the season was all about in the midst of a war, yet we are unable to set aside our politics and give each other a break in order to spend time with our families (no matter their composition) and remember what Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus, etc. are about.
Perhaps we should take a lesson from soldiers from nearly 100 years ago. Instead of fighting battles about our differences and making SURE we are heard, perhaps we should look for what we have in common.
While I was raised in the Christian Church, it will probably be a cold day in the Underworld before I ever become a part of a church again. However, having said that, I am not going to criticize anyone for their choice of spirituality and fellowship. I think those things should be fostered and if you feel that your spirituality makes forward progress by being involved in a church, then by all means, GO! But, please do not put me down or tell me that I am going to Hell just because I don't have the same dogma/doctrine as you do. At this time, you don't know my reasons for leaving and never going back. That will be the subject of an upcoming book. My personal relationship with (insert deity here) is just that. . .personal. It's none of your business. Just as yours is none of my business.
Whom I love is also none of your business, unless I choose to tell you. Even then, it is not yours to judge. I do not judge you for whom you love. Let's have a truce, especially since whom we love doesn't affect anyone but ourselves, nor is it a reflection on the extended family. Let it be.
Where I stand on the gun control debate is my own personal choice. I don't care what you choose, so long as you don't throw it in my face. Repeated social media posts about the benefits/drawbacks to gun control/ownership are not going to serve the purpose of changing peoples' minds. It will do nothing but alienate the people that you care about and perpetuate the anger. Let's call a truce. Vote as your conscience dictates.
We are here, on this Earth, to be a part of the human experience. To see, feel, touch, taste, hear, smell and think. Let us remember that. And above all, to love. Let us ESPECIALLY remember that. The more time we spend fighting, the less time we spend experiencing everything that this beautiful world has to offer. Just because I despise Lima Beans doesn't mean that I won't try them once (twice to be sure). And I won't condemn those people that love them! I will accept and embrace that eccentricity!!
My husband and I decided, this year, that there would be no Christmas gifts. Okay. . .we bought a few small things for stockings. And we decided to hand make everything else. It's not about the money that we spend. It was about spending time together and creating something for the people that we love. It was about pouring every bit of love that we have for them in our creations and giving it to them in the spirit that it was intended. It was about family. It was about responsibility. It was about peace.
And for all of you readers, I have decided that my gifts to you this year are: 1) Trying to find the common denominator. 2) Responding with love instead of venom or anger. 3) Trying to be more unbiased when I post my blogs and to approach them from a more level-headed perspective.
So, to reiterate, let's have a Christmas Truce and please don't let it stop on the 26th. Let's perpetuate it for as long as we live.
Where is this kind of spirit now? Men were able to set aside their differences and remember what the season was all about in the midst of a war, yet we are unable to set aside our politics and give each other a break in order to spend time with our families (no matter their composition) and remember what Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Festivus, etc. are about.
Perhaps we should take a lesson from soldiers from nearly 100 years ago. Instead of fighting battles about our differences and making SURE we are heard, perhaps we should look for what we have in common.
While I was raised in the Christian Church, it will probably be a cold day in the Underworld before I ever become a part of a church again. However, having said that, I am not going to criticize anyone for their choice of spirituality and fellowship. I think those things should be fostered and if you feel that your spirituality makes forward progress by being involved in a church, then by all means, GO! But, please do not put me down or tell me that I am going to Hell just because I don't have the same dogma/doctrine as you do. At this time, you don't know my reasons for leaving and never going back. That will be the subject of an upcoming book. My personal relationship with (insert deity here) is just that. . .personal. It's none of your business. Just as yours is none of my business.
Whom I love is also none of your business, unless I choose to tell you. Even then, it is not yours to judge. I do not judge you for whom you love. Let's have a truce, especially since whom we love doesn't affect anyone but ourselves, nor is it a reflection on the extended family. Let it be.
Where I stand on the gun control debate is my own personal choice. I don't care what you choose, so long as you don't throw it in my face. Repeated social media posts about the benefits/drawbacks to gun control/ownership are not going to serve the purpose of changing peoples' minds. It will do nothing but alienate the people that you care about and perpetuate the anger. Let's call a truce. Vote as your conscience dictates.
We are here, on this Earth, to be a part of the human experience. To see, feel, touch, taste, hear, smell and think. Let us remember that. And above all, to love. Let us ESPECIALLY remember that. The more time we spend fighting, the less time we spend experiencing everything that this beautiful world has to offer. Just because I despise Lima Beans doesn't mean that I won't try them once (twice to be sure). And I won't condemn those people that love them! I will accept and embrace that eccentricity!!
My husband and I decided, this year, that there would be no Christmas gifts. Okay. . .we bought a few small things for stockings. And we decided to hand make everything else. It's not about the money that we spend. It was about spending time together and creating something for the people that we love. It was about pouring every bit of love that we have for them in our creations and giving it to them in the spirit that it was intended. It was about family. It was about responsibility. It was about peace.
And for all of you readers, I have decided that my gifts to you this year are: 1) Trying to find the common denominator. 2) Responding with love instead of venom or anger. 3) Trying to be more unbiased when I post my blogs and to approach them from a more level-headed perspective.
So, to reiterate, let's have a Christmas Truce and please don't let it stop on the 26th. Let's perpetuate it for as long as we live.
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