Merry Christmas!

Well Christmas is here. As I write this I am watching Christmas Vacation with my family. What a classic. We just decorated our tree (finally) and the fire is going. Living in Atlanta means a wet Christmas instead of a white Christmas, but it is still Christmas. Every where I go I hear about the "season" of Christmas. It is a time for peace and love on Earth, a time of giving... You know what I am talking about, right? Well it got me thinking, why is Christmas the only season for those things? I know this idea is kind of cliche, but I want to talk about it a little bit.

Everyone knows who Santa Claus is. I am assuming most people have at least heard of the real St. Nick. He was a real person who lived during the fourth century. He was born into a wealthy family, but lost his parents at a young age. This left him with a great deal of inheritance, but rather than squandering it all on himself, he decided to spend the rest of his life giving his inheritance away. One of the most famous stories regarding him is about three poor girls. In that time and place, if a woman did not have enough money to pay a dowry and get married, she would most likely have to become a prostitute. St. Nick wanted to help them out, so each year when one of the three girls came of age, he secretly tossed a bag of gold through the window so that they could have a dowry and be married. For the third and youngest daughter, the father waited by the window because he wanted to figure out who was giving the money. To avoid being seen (St. Nick wanted his giving to be anonymous, he wasn't looking for credit) he threw the last sack of money down their chimney. There are many accounts (and legends) about his many deeds. His giving brought him fame, and so, a few hundred years later, thanks to Macy's and Coca-Cola, Santa Claus became a part of Christmas culture.

But here's the thing: St. Nick did not give things only around Christmas time. He gave to people and loved people and helped them year round. For him, it was not a season of giving, it was a life of giving.

During this Christmas time, think about who the real St. Nick was and what he did. As the new year approaches, remember that giving does not have to be an obligation you have to perform to keep relatives from being offended. It can be so much more. Who knows, if you make giving a way of life, maybe someday people will be calling you jolly. Better yet, you will be bringing people Christmas joy, even if it is the middle of July.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope it's a good one...

(Special thanks to Eric LaMarbe for giving the foundation for my little post here)