It's that time of year again and it most certainly is in the most wonderful time of the year. Of course, along with Christmas comes the spirit of St. Nicholas, or as most children known him, Santa Clause. The celebrated spirit of Santa Clause brings so much joy to children and families. And many children, like myself, enjoy writing letters to him and sending them off to the North Pole. There are many different traditions revolving around Santa Clause and each one is special in it's own way. For me, I would write down everything that I wanted in the letter. Of course, I would have to ask how each of his reindeer were doing and how Mrs. Clause was doing this time of year. I made sure to ask what his favorite cookies were and to let him known that we would have skim milk set out for him. But as I've grown, I've stopped writing these letters and I've stopped leaving cookies and milk out. However, the spirit of St. Nicholas hasn't left me.
Why is it that we wait around until December 1st to find joy in the little things? To be a little nicer to those around us? We shouldn't need the excuse of Christmas to be kind to each other and celebrate the little things in life. The items on my Christmas list have changed. I no longer want the newest edition of Barbie or the newest Polly Pocket set. My Christmas list now consists of things I need such as winter boots or a new backpack. But it also has other items on the list. This is my grown-up Christmas list:
I wish for the hate to stop. I don't care what race, sex, gender, or religion you are, we are all human and that is the only thing we should be judged on. Why do worry so much about what someone worships or what gender they identify as? What we should be worried about is who they are as a human being. Some may that I'm asking for a lot, but I don't think I am. It takes an incredible amount of energy to hate with all of your heart. What we need universally is love. Yes, that sounds cliche, but it's the truth. In the light of the election and everything that is occurring, we need to come together now more than ever.
I wish for everyone to have the right to love and marry who they please without fear of persecution. I hope that one day it's recognized that a marriage between a man and woman is not affected by a marriage between a man and a man or a woman and a woman.
I wish for every soldier, law enforcement officer and emergency medical employee to return safely for the holidays. I hope that every family that has sent a daughter, son, mother or father off to war gets to enjoy the holidays with their loved ones.
I wish for world hunger to come to an end. I hope that every child adult can live without fear of dying from starvation. I believe that one day we can reach this goal and we can solve the issue of world hunger. Some may call me an optimist to the extreme, but hey, it's my Christmas list.
In the spirit of Christmas, I think it's incredibly important to keep the joy alive and to love each other a little extra. But I also think it's important to keep in mind that no one needs an excuse to be nice or to help one another just out of the goodness of your heart. I know that some things on this list may seem unattainable, but if you can find it in yourself to try a little harder, you may notice that others will follow
