Merry Christmas

My 68th Christmas will not be much unlike the first one I remember.
Christmas is a such a wonderful time of year, spirits are high, people are generous and giving.
Then comes the pressure of giving more and more. There didn't use to be pressure. Merchants have never been able to mass motivate into that frame of mind.
We would make our gifts, when you make someone a gift, there is a lot of effort put in it so it means more to you and to the person getting the gift. And it is extremely personal.
I for one let it be known that I do not want a gift that was made China by religious prisoners. If you will Google that phrase you might feel the same way.
It is still fun to go to the woods and cut a tree, the only reason I can see paying $100 for a Christmas tree is so that when friends come over and ask how much did it cost, you can tell them. I on the other hand would tell a great story about how we climbed this mountain with a hand saw and cut it down and dragged it back, about all the mud and on and on about the wonderful adventure we had cutting this tree. You would soon know that I was lying about what I went through but you would know that I cut that tree. And that I decorated it with popcorn on a string, candy, cookies and other goodies that could be eaten.
Now the food part, all that cooking and baking, frying, boiling and such, there is no stress in that and there is no fear that someone is going to disable me with a shopping cart or trample over me getting to the blue light.
Now about all this buying. I am funny about this, I would never buy you a gift that was not made in America and I will not appreciate it if I find out that you could not afford the gift you bought me and charged it on some credit card.
Last and most important. Christmas is Christ's Birthday. If you cannot say "Merry Christmas" to me please do me a favor and don't speak at all because I will feel a lot better about you.
Merry Christmas to you. I hope you can give everyone on your list every thing they want. I hope you get things you never thought you would ever get from people you forgot.
And I really hope you refrain from happy holiday.