The second day of Christmas Week my true love gave to me…
Here’s the thing about ‘Christmas spirit’ – it is a cliche. It’s overworked, overstated, overused, overforced and over the moon. But it’s also true.
I worked in the restaurant business first when I was 16. I finished my on and off again illustrious career in that arena when I was 45. 29 years of serving people and I loved it. I also loved when my customers would inquire as to how I was doing.
Now, all year long, Christmas or not, every time I go out to a retail store, or a restaurant, I always make a point to ask the sales person, waiter, etc. how there day is going or how they are feeling. Something along that line. If they say ‘long’ I ask when they get off and if they will be able to relax. If they say ‘good’, I say great. If they say ‘it sucks’ I ask why. Then if they ask me in return I will tell them.
Christmas spirit has the cliche attached, it’s true. But kindness and thoughfulness do not. Be kind to the least powerful among you, be thoughtful and don’t judge those whom you don’t know. It isn’t hard, it just takes extending the reach of your care. You don’t know how your kindness may be needed right then by that person.
That was Jesus’s message, that is the Christmas message. And that is not now, nor will it ever will be, a cliche.
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Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
Quote by W. T. Ellis, 1866-? (probably not still alive I surmise).