"Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves."
~Eric Sevareid
AUBURN, Maine - I never understood how people find themselves exasperated over the holidays.
They say they are tired and beat up from shopping?
Really!
I give them that "are you f'%$#ckn kidding me" look.
You have a roof over your head, food on the table and money to purchase a few gifts for your children and wife, but you continue whining about running all over creation to get things done.
You are overwrought because of a holiday that asks us all to be kind to our fellow man for a just day.
You know who you are, but save us all from your diatribe.
We feel pressured to make the holiday just perfect. Martha Stewart shows us the way to celebrate the perfect holiday. The TV icon demonstrates how to perfectly fold napkins, wrap gifts, and whip up the perfect dip for perfect guests who will attend the perfect holiday party.
Good luck with that.
What some of us don't realize is that you've been given the gift that keeps on giving - if the faiths allow.
It's your family, and if you are fortunate, they will be there Christmas morning sipping coffee and unwrapping gifts.
George Bailey experienced an epiphany when a jovial old angel wannabe named Clarence took Bailey out for a walk for a wake-up call. Old George finally figured out that his family was all that mattered in his life.
I have witnessed family conflicts erupt over being late for a holiday gatherings to wrapping gifts the "right way."
It is all senseless.
I also understand that melancholy goes hand and hand with the holidays. You get older, but the memories are still strong of a mom and dad who won't be seated at the dinner table on December 25.
That's not stress; that's sadness, and the two should never be confused.
There are millions of U.S. citizens who are without work, health insurance and looking for their next meal.
That's stress, and being poor in a nation that flaunts its wealth strips any struggling family of their pride.
When you gripe about putting up the tree or lights, keep in mind there are 27 families who are drowning in a sea of misery and grief due to a mindless shooting in Connecticut.
So consider yourself lucky when you gather with your loved ones on Christmas morning enjoying their gifts and drinking egg nog.
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