Christmas time!

So I am pretty cynical. My sarcastic, make fun of people side comes out during the holidays, especially around my family. I know Angela is always laughing beside me while at gatherings because I'm always under my breath making fun of the weirdness of others--she is fun to have beside me during these moments. And we'll drive away from the evening party, holding proudly the hideous doily that we won playing the weird Christmas game that my grandmother made up that took 3 hours for us to play--and I'll make some comment about why I hate Christmas. 

I don't really truly hate Christmas... I'm just selfish.

I read this quote the other day by a guy who started a foundation for kids who don't have dads:

"It might be easy to run away to a monastery, away from the commercialization, the hectic hustle, the demanding family responsibilities of Christmas-time. Then we would have a holy Christmas. But we would forget the lesson of the Incarnation, of the enfleshing of God--the lesson that we who are followers of Jesus do not run from the secular; rather we try to transform it. It is our mission to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas just as the early Christians baptized the Christmas tree. And we do this by being holy people--kind, patient, generous, loving, laughing people--no matter how maddening is the Christmas rush..."

-Fr. Andrew Greely

So I'll probably still be sarcastic this Christmas--laughing a lot on the inside and with Angela. But instead of being bitter towards others not quite acting the way I want, I'll just laugh and love them. While exchanging gift cards, giving $30 to Starbucks to my dad and him giving me $30 to Panera Bread; and instead of me thinking "why didn't we both just keep our $30 so I could spend it where I want?"; I'll remember that my dad loves me and I love him, and that I should be thankful for that. I will keep my joy this Christmas and remember the words of Mr. Greely.

Merry Christmas.