Christmas

As you can see, my dog really enjoys Christmas.

I wouldn't call myself a 'religious' person. I'm not sure what that word means anyway. I don't attend church every week; not at all, in actual fact, but from time to time over the years have enjoyed walking into churches and cathedrals to feel the atmosphere and think about the 'goodness' for which they were intended.

My friend was brought up in a religion (from year dot therefore not given any choice in the matter) where Christmas and birthdays were not celebrated. Consequently, he went through school as an outcast; at weekends he was dragged up to doorways with an adult, waving pamphlets and 99% of the time told to GO AWAY! and worst of all, in my opinion, as a result of not celebrating Christmas or birthdays the family had no reason to get together. And they rarely do. What a shame.

Christmas brings people together. Few people think about the religious aspect of Christmas, let's face it, but many enjoy the giving and coming together and, to me, that makes Christmas all worth while. Maybe there are some that feel it is a chore to invite the parents, grannies, aunties etc but the fact is, we all need to know we belong and coming together reinforces family roots.

Christmas also makes us aware of people who are not so well off as ourselves and I don't just mean in a material sense. There is always someone much worse off, somewhere.

So, I believe in Christmas.

I believe in everyone having the right to believe in what they want to believe and not be told what to believe.

And I believe in "Love Thy Neighbour".

My friend, incidentally, "saw the light" eventually and lives a normal life these days.