connection to our roots and our past. Is it so much to ask of ourselves to set aside our electro-media-stimulus-fast paced-gotta-pay-the-rent-on-the-beach-condo-somebody-please-entertain-me addiction to the very things that destroy the peace and harmony in our lives? C’mon, you’ve got 364 other days that you can obsess over getting ahead and being good enough and worrying about every little ounce you put on this year. You can afford to spend a fraction of your oh-so-important agenda getting in touch with your bloodline. Even if they’re all intolerable ass-holes, so what? Practice forgiveness and acceptance.
If you don’t want to send Christmas cards, don’t. The mailman will love you. The way I see it, anyone who keeps a check-list of who sent Christmas cards and then makes some kind of judgment about it needs to get a real life. And as for all that pressure to buy gifts… GET OVER IT! It isn’t going to kill you to get off your butt and think about other peoples delight. And speaking of butts, it isn’t going to kill you to stop kissing those of people you don’t really want to buy gifts for but do. Buy gifts for people you want to buy them for and be as generous as you want to be. If you don’t want to buy a gift, don’t. Sometimes it may be appropriate to make some type of gesture, but there are LOTS of things you can do other than buy the latest electronic gadget or such. Flowers, plants, candy or fruit work great. And you can always make a donation to YOUR favorite charity in the other person’s name. The No. 1 Rule is to have fun with your gift buying and put some personal thought into it. The No. 2 Rule is NO SUFFERING ALLOWED! (By the way, if you happen to think that books make a nice Christmas