My Self the Elf!

Growing up, my kids referred to me as the Grinch, egged on by my wife of course.  No doubt this arose from my muttering and swearing as I climbed too high, leaned over too far and eventually strung those tiny, white lights over our tree and around our front door.  Making fun of Dad was, and still is, great fun for all of them and I play along pretending to be put upon.  It gets me into the holiday spirit somehow.

In western society, there is a common bond that is best expressed and celebrated this time of year.  Responding to a blog post titled “How Non-Christians Deal with Christmas”, an Indian-American immigrant named Safiq Ali Patel said, “I come from a mixed Muslim, Christian and Jewish family. I celebrate Christmas because I like the theme of love, peace, joy and goodwill to ALL men. God didn't come to earth just for Christians...”

What is it that inspires a Muslim, Christian, Jewish immigrant to embrace the spirit of love, peace, joy and goodwill to ALL men? 

The Christian values of tolerance and love for our fellow man are powerfully attractive to Christians and non-Christians alike.  People of all faiths can embrace the annual celebration of Christmas. People respond to the sense of charity, love and forgiveness espoused by Jesus Christ because those values and the emotion we attach to them are fundamental to us as human beings.  

At this time of year, it is somehow allowable to disregard the boundaries that usually prevent us from the human connection we crave.  We disregard our normal routines.  We bake cookies for our co-workers.  We buy gifts for those we love even when we have no idea what they’d like.  And, we gather with friends and family to eat food not on our usual diet and drink more than we should.  It’s a time when we act on our charitable instincts and become, if only for a few weeks, our better selves.

As for me, the Grinch, I recently took one of those silly Facebook quizzes, “What Christmas movie character are you?”  The answer for me:  Buddy, the Will Ferrell character in the movie “Elf.”

I plan to own it.  The Grinch is dead.  Long live Buddy the Elf!