Celebrating Christmas 2009

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

~John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.,
(4 July 1872 – 5 January 1933)
President of the United States of America

I spend today, Christmas 2009, with my father down in the State of Georgia. He lives near Atlanta. It's quite strange down here; almost nobody decorates (I'd be surprised if but one out of every 25 homes were decorated) and it doesn't feel at all like Christmas. A bit more so in my father's home as I practically forced him to get a Christmas tree. Of course, I had to decorate it. We split the cost for the ornaments & lights, though, and he did pay for the tree. I paid for the stand. It was a fair trade. :)

Anyway, I'm just doing a lot of thinking, which I'll reserve for another post.

In celebrating your holidays, whatever your tradition, religious persuasion and what not, I do ask that you please take some time today to remember our military personnel & those who are less fortunate, as well as those LGBTQ military personnel who are unable to be with their loved ones due to current military policy (Don't Ask, Don't Tell), those LGBTQ military personnel who serve(d) but were discharged under DADT, and those that died serving our country but were not recognized as having a family back home who suffers their loss. (Thank you, Bonnie, for reminding us of our LGBTQ military brethren!)

I just wanted to take a moment and wish all of my friends, relatives, acquaintances, strangers, and enemies the very happiest of Christmases and merriest of holidays! It is my sincerest wish that you all find the peace, harmony, and happiness that each of you seek in your lives.

~~~♥♥♥ Merry Christmas! ¡Feliz Navidad! Joyeaux Noel!
聖誕快樂! Buon Natale! สุขสันต์ วัน คริสต์มาส! ♥♥♥~~~