Great Expectations

'Tis the Night Before Christmas. We gather with friends and family tonight or tomorrow. We bake, cook, laugh, finish shopping or wrapping gifts. Children wait anxiously for tomorrow morning, after Santa visits tonight.

Christmas is that special time of year when we give and receive. We honor our family, friends and neighbors with a small gift or token -showing our love and appreciation for their presence in our lives.

Our bonds with others strengthen this time of year. It is a sacred time. Making memories that we'll hold in our hearts forever. Make it count. Make good memories - even if you don't want to. Push yourself to be cheerful. Push yourself to forgive &/or smile around people. Our world needs more kindness, good cheer, forgiveness, jolly folly, and selflessness.

Christmas is a Christian Holy Day (Holiday). What happened? Spent over 5 minutes searching for a holy, spiritual, or Christian photo for this blog. Came up empty. Found plenty of photos with Christmas trees, people shopping, partying, gathering, tinsel, gifts and bows. Not one photo with a Cross or nativity scene. Wasn't this holiday created to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, one of God's "sons" or prophets? When did western society push that away? How did it happen? Who made that happen? Why?

This year's Christmas seems less spiritual than years past. Maybe I hang out with the wrong people. When shopping or visiting with people, I see no Christmas spirit or heart-soul "magic" as years past. I see people panicking over gifts they buy for people or gifts they might get. I hear people panic about family members they'll see this year - whom they don't like.

Great Expectations. During this time of giving and receiving, it's easy to get tangled up in expectations. "Will Sally like gift I give her?" Or "Hope my husband gives me that bracelet I want." Single women in a relationship might expect an engagement ring this year. Your son might expect that $800 item he mentioned in June. Don't drive yourself crazy. Focus on your love for others - more than the gift you give or receive.

If you haven't finished shopping when reading this, stop. Grab a gift card at Walgreen's or the gas station for those people. Give the gift of you this year. Give them your time. Show them you care.

Spending one-on-one time with people means more than any gift you buy. Besides, we all use Amazon. Shopping for gifts takes 5 minutes nowadays.

We live in an age of over-stimulation, cell phone addiction, social media madness, and mental illness. We forgot how to be human. How about we make a soul pledge to be more human this year?

Share your time with people you love and appreciate. Spend time talking to them. Ask them about their lives and how they feel about stuff. Especially if you rarely see them.

Talk, listen, and be human with people around you. Use this time of year to build stronger bonds.

If you don't like some family members - or don't share same opinions with them - establish a 4-hour truce. What's a 4-hour truce compared to the other 364 days of the year? Nothing. Except ego and craving attention. Chances are, they feel the same way. Chances are, they want a truce too. Chances are, they want to heard and appreciated. Just like you.

Drop your ego, expectations, agitations, or anxiety and enjoy others' company. Learn new things about them. Find topics you agree on. Respect them, you and your differences. They will follow your lead. Lead gently and soulfully.

Be human with each other again. Laugh when your casserole or dessert turns out horrible. You're making good memories! Smile and appreciate the gifts others give you. Even if you don't like them. The other person will reciprocate. Set an example. Be the Light you are. Allow them the same.

I've walked this Earth as an adult for 40 years. Back in 1990s, people often said, "Christmas is too commercialized now." While we shopped at Macy's finding the perfect crystal stemware for his/her daughter or sister. Must admit. Christmas shopping in 1990s was more fun than today. More personal, human, and the shops were beautifully decorated. And us Americans still felt Christmas was too commercialized!

This Christmas seems to lack spirituality and soul. Spirituality and soul is what this time of year is all about! If your son, daughter, sister, brother, or spouse doesn't like your gift - don't feel offended. Ask them what they really want. When their answer is something you cannot give, tell them. Honestly.

Christmas is a Christian holiday. Tribes across the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ tonight. Most don't believe in Santa Claus. Most can't afford gifts like jewelry, the newest video game, or hi-tech gadget. They do have something that many in the western world don't: an intact soul and strong human relationships. They honor their humanity - with all its faults, frailty, vulnerabilities and strengths. They work together to make their world a better place. They practice what prophets like Jesus Christ taught. Kindness, cheer, jolly folly, appreciation, the intimacy of the human soul experience on Earth.

This blog wasn't written to judge. It was written for perspective. When you're around your family, friends and neighbors, appreciate and love them. Let your guard down. Throw away expectations. Throw away your shield, image or veneer. Be completely you. Speak your truth, gently. Keep your agreements. Create an aura of Light and happiness around you. Even if you don't feel happy, pretend it. Happiness and Light are contagious. Happiness, peace, joy are part of your human soul essence.

Christmas is just one day, or four days for some families. The memories you make now last a lifetime.

When you approach your last days, you forget the gifts you received or gave this year. You remember the laughter, communion, intimacy and joy you felt with those around you. You remember the people and the experiences.

Make this Christmas count. Make beautiful, soulful memories. Create that. Manifest that. Create good memories for you and everyone around you. Elevate the energy.

The peaceful, positive energy you bring pierces the souls and hearts of everyone around you. Remember that. Remember the beauty, magic and love inside you. Share it. People will reciprocate.

That's one of Christ's messages to mankind when he lived on the planet. Be like him right now. Call a short-term truce with those you disagree with. Create a new bond with them. Bust your mental Matrix. They'll bust theirs too - if you give them room. Give them room. And give yourself a break.

Be human. Set a realistic expectation this year. Set a goal for yourself. Be kind, open, joyful, appreciative and smile. Set the standard. Watch others follow your lead. Walk this Christmas and year-end time - using your soul and heart. You got nothing to lose. And tons to gain.

Merry Christmas!