What If Santa Was Real?

I was a Catholic school boy in 4th grade. (I was a good boy, too, my mom always says.) That's when it happened. I heard my classmates talking about how Santa wasn't real. "No," I thought. "It couldn't be?" I was devastated. I didn't say a word until I got home. That's when my mom took me in my bedroom, shut the door and began to explain. I was sad. But I got over it.

And I was thinking the other day about my mom and how hard that conversation must have been. I'll bet she wished she could have said the opposite, that the kids on the playground were wrong. And I would have believed her. I would have believed my mom if she said, "Michael, Santa is real."

And would it really be so bad if he was? And wouldn't it mean more happiness and goodness and giving and faith and love and sacrifice and care and kindness and hope? That's what Santa stands for. Aren't we a little short on those things these days?

Truth be told "Santa" did actually exist as a person (Saint Nicholas) long ago and is known for doing some of the things associated with present-day tradition.

No, I don't think it would be such a bad thing if Santa was real. Ho ho ho. :)

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Holiday Shows, A Canine's Shack, Meaning in Life & Linus' Famous Speech

If there's anything cool about Christmas time, it's the holiday shows.

Do you have a favorite? Frosty? The Grinch? It's a Wonderful Life? A Charlie Brown Christmas? That last one is among the most famous of all.

And did you know it was done on a shoestring budget and the network predicted it would flop prior to release? (So much for executives.)

There's a part in "A Charlie Brown Christmas" where Charlie Brown walks by Snoopy's dog house. (Do you remember that?) Snoopy's trying to win the neighborhood light and decoration contest. And so his dog house is decorated to the hilt as Snoopy hands Charlie Brown a flyer explaining the contest. It's the last straw for Charlie Brown. He cries out, "Oh no, my own dog has gone commercial. I can't stand it!"

And I wonder if some people's lives aren't a lot like Snoopy and his dog house. No, I'm not saying you're a canine living in a shack. But I wonder if we're not just trying to win some kind of a prize (of our own mind's making? ~ some of us?) and in the process our life has lost its meaning. It's just become the next promotion or contest or thing that needs to be bought or person that needs to be impressed or deal that needs to be made ~ and on and on. Where does it end?

Charlie Brown was in search of meaning in life and he found it. We can find it, too.

Happy holidays.

(To watch Linus' famous speech in A Charlie Brown Christmas, click here.)

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10 Boo Boos People Make at Holiday Get Togethers (plus 1 bonus)

It's that time of the year again. The time where we are thankful and give (and receive) presents.

It's also the time where we get around people we may not see throughout the year. That's where the trouble comes. Especially if the last time we saw somebody there was any kind of friction. (Been there? Done that?)

I'd expect there are many just dreading the holiday get together. (Is it you?) We can do a lot to help ourselves (short of not showing up) to handle the pressure and dispel the tension that can accompany any gathering.

The main thing is to prepare ahead of time. Know the relational mistakes and avoid them...

10 Boo Boos People Make at Holiday Get Togethers (plus 1 bonus):

1. Show up late
2. Worry about what others think
3. Talk too much
4. Talk about themselves
5. Try to change people
6. Are too honest
7. Show off (brag)
8. Drink too much
9. Judge
10. Stick their foot in their mouth (say something they shouldn't say)

BONUS: Forget to say, "Thank you" (and send a "Thank you" card afterwards)

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How to Deal with Holiday Stress (10 ways)

Things are tight (for many of us). And the holidays are here! Combine holiday season with things being tight and what do you get? (Starts and ends with an "s".) Stress.

Webster's defines stress as: "bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium." (In simpler terms, you're frazzled.)

People deal with holiday stress in different ways. Some get angry. Some feel sorry for themselves. Some go on binges (drinking, shopping). Others get real busy. (Workaholics are a perfect example.) It could be just about anything that overtakes a person when they're stressed (insomnia, drug addiction ~ even suicide).

There are things we can do / ways to deal with and minimize stress. I've put together a list of them below. This isn't scientific or anything. It's just coming from inside my head. I think we learn these over the years. The problem is we don't always put them into practice. (I'm guilty of that.) I encourage you to not just read these, but apply them, too (I'm feeling less stress already)...

How to Deal With Holiday Stress (10 ways):

1. Don't give in to unrealistic expectations.
2. Live within your means.
3. Go to the malls during off peak hours.
4. Take a break and get some fresh air.
5. Spend time with people that give you hope.
6. Avoid eating too many holiday treats.
7. Watch a movie that makes you laugh.
8. Refuse to worry about the future.
9. Lift somebody up who's in worse shape than you.
10. Remember, the important things money can't buy.

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