I admit it, Christmas isn’t my favourite time of year.
I’m not exactly sure why, after all the whole idea of Christmas is nothing but positive.
From a secular point of view, Christmas is a time to get together with friends and family, enjoy each other’s company and in general just be kinder and gentler towards your fellow man.
There’s nothing wrong with that. From the Christian point of view, which I consider myself one, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ.
Another good thing. So why as the holiday season draws nearer does it bring out more of the ‘bah humbug’ in me?
I partly blame the industry I am in. As a general rule, at a weekly newspaper, which continues to publish during the Christmas season it means, basically its staff must prepare two issues at the same time.
I have also spent some time in the retail industry and while it might be a businesses most important time of year, can make its workers a little grumpy. See how enthusiastic you are about Christmas when you have to listen to holiday music for your entire shift, starting as early as October.
Just my opinion, but Christmas music and decorations shouldn’t start until Dec. 1 and never before Remembrance Day.
With all that being said, the one thing I look forward to every year is preparing a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child. Every year, my wife and I pick up a box from a local retailer and stuff it full of items, which hopefully some child will find not only useful, but will help bring a little joy into their lives. If we are lucky we are able to make a day out of it and go on a specific shopping trip just to fill our shoebox.
Unfortunately in the last couple of years, our schedules, mostly mine, has not permitted this and we either have done the process online or in a piecemeal fashion.
However a person chooses to do it, I encourage you to make it a part of your own holiday tradition. For more details on how to do this go to page 4 and read our story about Barrhead’s local effort.
For those of you, who are like me and get a bit melancholy as Christmas arrives perhaps it will help shake the ‘ba hum bugs’ out of you.
