Christmas is this thing
It's an enigma
There are many converging factors
That make this time of year equally hopeful
But equally stressful and plastic
Giving unrealistic ideas
That  can drive some people to poverty and insanity
Within a mere week
Sometimes within a day
I think the thing that makes this particular holiday special
Is the offering of hope and good will that it is supposed to stand for
Yet it's also the time of year when we are told that we must spend our money
Buy that big screen t.v.
Buy your hope
Go broke trying to buy our penance
Spending money to wash away the guilt
To feel like we have actually given something
To somehow feel like we can make up
For all the other times we didn't give
Or make up for the distance we have with our families
And somehow make up for all the times we weren't there.
And we somehow feel entitled to receive these gifts
And some people will actually feel mad
Even angry if no one gives them a gift on Christmas
Whether they have been naughty or nice
And then there are the people who are left out in the cold
Who have no family
No loved ones
No gifts
No hope
Who feel even more estranged
And lost
And forgotten during this time
But even with that said
There is still a kernel of goodness and wisdom
To spreading good will to all men
And trying to spread hope and faith
For your fellow man
And trying to give just because we can
Instead of trying to receive something in return
I think that we need to imbue these qualities all year
Instead of trying to simply focus on them
When the holiday times comes
Giving to people just because you can
And sharing that empathy and good will
And showing people that you care
Just because you can
I think that if we were all to take these lessons to heart
We would all be a little better off