About wishing you a Merry Christmas

The other day I stopped in at our favorite local apple grower's roadside store to buy a few pounds of apples and some fresh pressed apple cider. After paying, the lady at the counter said, "Have a nice Christmas," and I could see a little look of doubt in her eyes as if she wondered if it was okay to say "Christmas" to me. I smiled and said, "Merry Christmas!" She relaxed, smiled and said, "Merry Christmas! It is so hard to tell what to do say these days." In response I said, "Let's not have our communication stifled by such negative considerations. Wishing people a Merry Christmas is a kind, good-natured thing to do." That is how I feel about it. I wish you a Merry Christmas, because wishing you a Merry Christmas is to wish you a season of love and kindness. That is how I mean it. I do not mean to wish Christianity on you, and in saying it I am not saying I am a Christian. The fact is, you don't know what my faith is (unless you are my immediate family) I don't discuss it because that is my personal business, not yours. Just as your faith is your personal business, not mine. But whether I am Christian or not, I wish a Merry Christmas to all of the people of the world. To attempt to stifle people from wishing one another a Merry Christmas is to stifle well wishing and thoughts of love. Why do that, when love is what the world needs. Yes, Christmas is particular within the Christian religion is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. But people of any faith or no faith could enjoy a sense of the celebration of brotherly love for the good of mankind and acknowledge a heightened sense of love during this season was inspired by some guy named Jesus who lived back about 2,000 years ago -- regardless what the significance of that guy is. Whether he was a prophet, the son of God, God himself, or just some guy ... he said some cool stuff and the coolest thing he said was, "Hey guys, you really should stop all the hating and do some loving instead." And there was something very convincing about the way he said it, because his words impacted the way much of mankind has lived and regarded one another positively in a huge way and that impact has lasted for more than 2,000 years. So, I say to you, Merry Christmas. I say this because I wish you well, I wish you love and a sense of peace. I wish these things for you and those you touch and those you love. I wish these things on you and yours today, and for this season, and I hope those feelings will last for as much of the coming year as you can possibly carry it on. I don't know you personally, perhaps ... but I wish you love. That is all it is, and even if you take a stance of being offended by my wishes of a Merry Christmas to you and yours, I love you any way and wish you love and peace any way. I respect your beliefs, whatever they may be. And, I wish you love. So, Merry Christmas! Love, firefly