The holidays have always been a conflicted time of year for me. Not so much in an emotional way as my family has always been close and we have together whether it be formal or more laid back.
The conflict, for me, has been the consumerist and very selfish nature that the holidays can bring out in people. The irony in the social media posts marking the importance of spending time with family and helping those less fortunate. All the while the creator is taking advantage of retail offerings and food provided by people who are missing out on time with their family to serve the elite (like myself) who are fortunate enough to have a job where you get the holidays off, with pay.
These people are our neighbors. They are the people we went to school went. Even those we may work with. They are so close to our lives that it becomes an almost inconvenient truth too hard to swallow. So we give our charity to those farther out from our circle to help distract us from the reality within. But then again, that can be said for any time of year, really.
Let us take the time this holiday season to reflect on the world around us, more near than far. Let our sacrifice be the inconvenience of having to plan our meals so that we can refrain from going to a restaurant on Christmas Day. Invite the single man from down the street who never really looked quite right to dinner. Make an extra effort to include those family members who may be on the fringe or not able to make it out to the normal family functions. Let us not stop after the holidays are over. We should make this a part of our daily lives, constantly reaching out to those in our lives that are not only beyond, but within our reach and in need.
I have always been a believer that to affect real change, you must start with those closest to you. Writing a check and sending a text is easy and fills the need to give beyond ourselves. Let me encourage you to give more, inconveniently.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours,
Jason