Happy Birthday, Jesus! And Other Things I Can't Say

Quick: What are these dates? May 20, July 24, October 10. For me, these dates mark the birth of people I know and love. Betty, Barbara and Carolyn all have their birth dates circled on my calendar.

Now if I want to send them a card, buy them a gift or call them on their special day, no one gets bent out of shape. There are no Betty-haters out there as far as I know. I mean, come on. The woman is a saint. You wouldn’t believe the things she’s had to put up with in life, but she meets life head-on with optimism and grit.

But if I want to remember Jesus’ birthday, that’s another story. If I want to say “Merry Christmas,” I might get a little flak. “Happy Holidays” is preferred by some, or for those in education, “Happy Winter Break.” A few years ago I remember feeling totally intimidated saying “Merry Christmas.” Thankfully, the atmosphere changed.

Are you familiar with Jenny Joseph’s poem, “Warning: When I Am an Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple”? Google it if you’re not. Ah, the beauty of older age: imagine, a woman eating sausages and spitting on the sidewalk. The subject of this poem is my heroine.

So I if break away from the politically correct pack, just mark it up to aging. If someone takes away my right to say “Merry Christmas,” I may not remember I’m not supposed to say it, and I might say it anyway.

Until I am truly golden, if Christmas should ever be banned, that’s okay. I’m not much of a material girl anyway. What? Not go to the mall or shop on-line? I’ll just say “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” and celebrate with dessert. And a tree. And lights, camera, action! Candles! Stories! Hugs! Laughter! Greeting cards! Family traditions! Friends and family! I’ll throw a big party in honor of His birth. And who knows? We might even exchange homemade presents.

Call me crazy. If I can celebrate the births of my friends Betty, Barbara and Carolyn, and if we can celebrate special days to honor the births of dead presidents and Kings, (Abe, George, and Martin Luther, Jr.), then surely I should be allowed to celebrate the birth of my friend Jesus, the King of Kings.

It’s only fair. We don’t want to be accused of discrimination, do we? The party is at my house December 25th. Mark it on your calendar. Come on over.

posted 12/04/11 at http://freehelp.ws/Sense/LetterC4/page1.html