‘Bah humbug’ to jolly bolly big box store greetings

Christmas affects us in different ways. For some, the meaning is jingled out in frugality. For others, the meaning is proclaimed in the jollity of bounty. And then there are those who just ride it out.

I have always entertained the idea that the season of gift-giving acted like an antidote to the possibility of selfishness steeping permanently into the American lifestyle. During Christmas, even the side-steppers are infected by the generosity bug.

We give away a lot. We buy things we normally wouldn’t – for others. And that’s the amazing ingredient of a healthy society – doing things for others. Such joy in giving is not cliché. You personally will get cheered up by it. I extrapolate that happiness affecting our larger culture in America.

But something is bothering me this Christmas. It could just be me, but I’m thinking this antidote is not strong enough anymore. It’s not working. The “happy” bug of holiday cheer, the genuine “Merry Christmas” melodies are in muted tones now.

All my life, this spiritual season echoed the carols of myself as a bounty giver. And it buoyed me. This year, however, I’m toughing it out economically and finding that quiet frugal warmth instead. My Japanese wife from a Shinto culture, well, she has always just ridden it out; the Christmas aura never percolated her goat.

In any event, you and I are probably pretty similar. I work every day to survive or so it seems. I have five children, all grown now. Living in Alaska, cold winters aside, I love it here.

On top of that, I love America. Her roots, her people, her heritage of freedom and faith. I love American family life and culture. America’s prosperity, her freedom, her national anthem, her sports teams, her worldliness. And underneath it all, I love her soul.

So, in celebrating Christmas this year, though I sing a lot by nature, the headaches of our mixed-up world aren’t going away. For example, the holiday spirit is doing nothing for the looming economic cliff of our State’s budgetary crisis. It suffers us on a personal level to be cautious in our spending.

And in our nation, we’ve been shattered by our broken homes, by our dysfunctional political leadership, and by the overspending of our government. Our parochial or family gift-giving does nothing to relieve these huge problems.

Despite all that, I find a powerful sense of optimism and hope just getting out and about in my community of Eagle River. It’s because the people I meet love their kids, involve themselves in things, clubs, events, little leagues, neighborhood talk, and keep their chins up all the time. I know it’s hard for others as it is for me, but Alaska’s not a depressing place to live when we get out of the house.

I feel a vibrancy in our community. We are like a huge high school, where we see friends often. What I see inside of Alaska is the true America. And I just want to affirm those things, the invisible things especially, that make it that way.

We overlook the valuable too easily. I think we need to hear more of what makes our lives good, what makes our communities thrive, and what makes this country prosper. Don’t you think?

You and I and other working-hard members of our great land must affirm this goodness as central to the greatness of our country. That’s all I want to say. If you resonate with this message, then leave me a comment.

So, whoever you are, Mr. Frugal, Mr. Jolly, or Mr. Mope, or the Missus version of them, I want to wish you sincerely, “Make it a Merry Christmas.”

In closing, I will leave you with my frugal, yule-go Christmas card greeting. (Of course, I wrote it myself. Bah humbug to the jolly bolly big box store greeting cards.)

Wishing you a glorious spiritual season,

when snow sparkles on the surface of your heart,

and laughter tingles your insides,

when the monsters of busyness

scatter for a few precious moments

to let family peace and holiday cheer

entertain you with their own magic.

Let’s go together committed to prosperity and joy in 2017.