December 25 - Merry Christmas

This is the statement I inserted into all of my “Holiday” cards this year.

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

It was a “tongue in cheek” slap to all of the Political Correctness that is smothering us. So in the true CHRISTMAS spirit, Merry Christmas to All.

Below is a picture of my Mom and me from 1987. She was the head administrator of an Independent Living facility. It was the last exit on the aging highway that dead-ends at a nursing home. For several years I would be Santa and give each resident a nominal gift. But no matter, how trivial the gift, each resident would beam with delight at the small gesture. THAT was the true meaning of Christmas.

With Christmas landing on a Monday this year, I thought I would NOT provide a PET PEEVE, and I won’t. But I WILL provide an UPDATE to a prior PET PEEVE.

I blogged about Inappropriate Gifts on December 4.

These are the gifts that have too many pieces, require too many batteries, make too much noise, or are not age appropriate. Thank you to all of those that read the blog and decided to fall in line with my beliefs and judgments. Believe me, my world and your’s would be a better place if more people would take note of my suggestions.

However there were a few gifts that were snuck in under my Gift-dar.

1. Whom ever gave my 8 year-old daughter ear rings for pieced ears, thank you so much. Does a gift certificate for body piecing or tattoos also come with the gift? I have already legislated that my girls will not get their ears pieced until they are 16.

2. My son also received two Inappropriate Gifts. One requires 6 AA batteries and 9 volt battery. The other gift, pictured below, has 163 small parts. Thank you and I know where you live.

My gift to my family was Trivial Pursuit, The Book Lover’s Edition.

There were other versions like Nickelodeon or Cartoon Lovers, but I decided to enhance their brains rather than contain them. No batteries, noise, or chewable pieces, just the sounds of laughter and transfer of knowledge to the next generation.

FYI, bottles of champagne are still OK as New Year’s gifts.