Holidays. Et al.

On By Rhys FordIn Heh
holiday bunneh from kyupi on deviantart

Christmas.

I’ll be honest. I don’t celebrate it.

I don’t celebrate it for a variety of reasons. Some of them are valid excuses. Not a Christian. Don’t have kids. Owning kittens becoming cats preempts trees. Dogs thought tree was to pee on. You name it. It’s pretty much there.

Honestly, there are other deeper, more raw personal reasons I don’t celebrate Christmas. Just like I really don’t do anything for my birthday. I won’t share them. I’m not in a point in my life where I can and to be honest, I don’t know if I ever will be. Hell, eventually it might all be moot and that’s kind of what I keep hoping for. So I throw out the pat excuses as listed above.

But see the thing is, I still wish people a Joyous Christmas or Holidays because there is a joy in the season… in the family… between friends that should be celebrated and exulted.

And to each and every one of you—I say you are definitely a reason I celebrate the year and its joys.

I have friends whom I love so deeply I can’t imagine the world without them. There are readers who both quiet and loud who have sent me emails saying I’ve given them something by stringing together words a certain way. I have had people whom I’ve reached out to say to me; thank you for what you’ve given (an ear, time, space, and so on).

But most of all, I’ve had the pleasure and luxury of spending time with all of you.

For everyone who has picked up one of my books, thank you. For some, reading is a luxury, an expense they can ill-afford yet they scrape together enough to do so. I will never ever ever forget this. Regardless if the cost of a book means nothing to many — for some it’s a serious debate on lunch or a book.

I have been that person. I cannot say I will never be that person again. Life is strange. Life goes sideways at light speed and I am always cautious never to be so above myself I forget the taste of Spam or blue-box macaroni and cheese.

So when I can… I give. Because I have done without and have been given to.

See, my charities are simple. Meals for those who cannot put food on the table, books for those who need escape or entertainment and salvation for animals who need a home in a world that’s been cruel or neglectful. Those are things close to my heart. As are all of you.

This year for the Holidays, I ask for one thing from all of you… clean out your bookcases, your pantries, or even stop and grab some pet supplies at the store. Give to your library, to a nursing home, to a shelter—whether it be human or animal. But most of all, give to yourself.

Take care of who you are. Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t forget that simply the act of being here… you are here with me. And I am ever so grateful for that.

Thank you. From every single bit of my soul to yours. Thank you.

45 thoughts on “Holidays. Et al.”

  2. My annual celebration of Christmas is a solo day trip to the coast (about two hours away). I don’t do the traditional stuff much (except that I do have a tiny tree on top of my armoire — away from the cats), either, for reasons. But I wish you a happy winter and the joy of longer daylight hours ahead!

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  3. Elorie

    Thank you for all your kind words and thoughts. I celebrate the time of year but not the religion( I have a lot of friends who are Christians in the true sense of the word and concept and I don’t need to rub my less obvious differences in their faces. (That isn’t to say that most of them would not be offended, they know I’m not Christian and as someone said, they believe that there are many paths to the same destination but we can share the happiness of giving to less fortunate and those we love without all the trappings.) I am a crafter as well as a dog rescuer so I donate dog food and cat food to our shelter every month. And I make blankets that I donate to the Salvation Army during the year and for their angel tree. The good feeling that gives me is the best gift anyone could have. And the pleasure from your books gives me the same indefinable good feelings and enjoyment that giving does.

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    1. I truly believe we all share the same… God, per so. And I welcome anyone’s benevolent worship and celebration of their perspective. Definitely so. *nods* Thank you for sharing so much of yourself! *HUGS*

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  5. Stan Errington

    Thank you for your amazing words, always a joy to read. You’ve brought so much joy to my life ever since I discovered your phenomenal writing this year, definitely one of my highlights of 2014. THANK YOU

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  7. Sadonna

    What a lovely post. I find myself participating less in the trappings of Christmas each year – for some of the same “pat excuses” you name as well as others. Yes, I was raised in a Christian household, but I no longer identify as such (although we don’t talk about that). When something ceases to be a joy and instead becomes a burden, it’s definitely time to reevaluate. My family has gotten much smaller and for the most part we are not close. Some of that is by my choice, some not.

    I also would rather focus on doing my part to make the world a better place, in whatever way I choose to do that. I love Keysha’s sentiment – Happy Everyday! That would be a good approach to life and our interactions with family and friends whether it’s December or June.

    You are definitely a blessing to all of us here and I for one am thrilled that I found you and your words a few years ago. I was going through a particularly rough patch and the solace of your books and your kindness to me were greatly appreciated when I wasn’t find much in the world elsewhere 😉

    I’ll be forever grateful. <3

    xoxoxo

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  8. Patricia

    The cliche rings true for me, I get where you’re coming from .. .. so I celebrate life, and the Christmas is for my 3 grandkids .. as it should be. If everyone did a little giving & paying it forward, the world would be kinder, gentler place to be.

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  12. I fear I lean more towards the bah humbug spirit of the holidays these days. But we do the tree & stories for son & niece & their enjoyment always makes it worth it.
    *Hugs* thank you for your gift in sharing the worlds that live in your head 😊

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  13. Sandy

    Your books are one of the things I’m grateful for this Christmas season. Wishing you a joyous season as well:)

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  15. We haven’t had a tree since the Satan cat joined us 7 years ago. And, somehow, the older I get, the less excited I am about decorating. If we had kids then that’d be different, but I think it’s sort of sad to have a tree with nothing under it.
    So, happy life to you! I live you!

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  18. Rachael

    We’re not a Christian family but we still celebrate the season in our own way including a tree. We have two lovely young lady cats, Cat-astrophe and Cat-aclysm. We decorate our tree only with cat toys so it doesn’t matter if they climb the tree or tip it over. Nothing gets broken and they are entertained, as are we.
    Happy whatever you celebrate!

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    1. We have a tree chewer. Neko will grab a hold of a branch and drag it behind her. For a 6 lb ball of black fury, she’s pretty strong. *grins*

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  19. Jinai Singh

    Thank you for bringing such wonderful stories to life! And the daily pictures are something I look forward to every time. 😀
    Hope you have as much happiness as you give (lots) and thank you for all that you do! <3

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  20. isisrising4sandra

    I don’t follow the Christian system (or other major religions, for that matter), but I really enjoy the holiday season because it seems to bring friends and families together in ways they rarely achieve without outside forces pushing them. Personally, I’ll be grateful just to get a day off – the realities of working in retail during the holiday season 🙂

    Goddess Bless to you, Rhys, for just being you – kind and loving, talented and thoughtful, and brave enough to take those words and share them with the world.

    Reply

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