Recently we were told at my job that we are not allowed to decorate our store for Christmas, wear ugly sweaters, or have "any frills" this holiday season. I felt a pang of loss taking down our garlands and stockings with the employee names.
I know not everyone celebrates Christmas and I respect and honor that wish. However I love Christmas, this is one of my seasons. I love what it represents for me, what it stands for, the reason I celebrate.
And just when I was ready to vent and take on the world, a dear, dear, older gentleman looked at me and said, "they can't take what's inside."
You can try and shake up my world but you can't the light inside. You can't take the joy of the season or my joy the rest of the year. You can't take why I celebrate December 25th in the first place.
You can try.
You really can.
But the thing is the season goes more than skin deep for me. I love the tree and stockings and tinsel but for me this goes far, far beyond all of this. For me this season means hope and knowing that there is a second chance with every breath I breath. It's a joy that goes beyond emotions, a joy that says in the deepest darkest there is a Love that can reach me even when I don't feel it.
Christmas for me is a reminder that Love can come as a whisper in the most unexpected places and times, that Love is pure and untainted and cannot be stained by the consumerism and greed and lust and anger we bring to the table. Love goes beyond all of that and loves anyway.
I'll admit it: I felt a little angry going into the mall yesterday and seeing all the other people allowed to display their Christmas cheer.
And knowing I go into work tomorrow not.
It's pretty maddening.
It makes you want to write hot and angry letters.
But I'm not going to do that today. I can't, because that would mean they would win. They're not going to win. Not today and not tomorrow. Because they cannot take that Love from me, that inner joy that goes beyond what I can or cannot do. I will say Merry Christmas. I will love and love hard. I'm going to go against my emotions and I'm going to look what I feel wrong in the face and say, "you still didn't win. You thought taking down the decorations would take away the Christmas people see, but you can't take Christmas from me."

So Merry Christmas beautiful souls!