'Tis the Season

I effing love Christmas.

Which is a little ridiculous, when you think about my punk rock/new wave/death rock background, and the decided lack of any kind of organized religion in my household as a child. But my love of Christmas cannot be denied.

I love the smells. Cookies in the oven, pine needles in the living room, tape, and wrapping paper.

I love the sounds. Bells, music, the voices of small children piped into every speaker in every mall in America.

I love the anticipation. I still believe in Santa. I'm almost 40 years old. Of course, I'm also not completely stupid. The Queen Gorgon has told me any number of times that as soon as I stop believing, Santa stops coming, and I am not one to tug on Superman's cape.

I do not love the fact that the Christmas decorations go up in the stores before the Halloween clearance racks are emptied. I do not love the crush and throng in every store that starts in mid-November. But I do love to watch the old shows that I watched as a child. I love hearing the Kraken say "Ho, ho, ho, Santa's coming", and knowing that for her, Santa is as real as Dora or Elmo, or Mommy.

I love to sit on the floor and wrap presents, while A Charlie Brown Christmas plays softly in the background, in the soft haze of the blue and white lights on my Christmas tree. I love to put bows on the cat and watch him try to shake them off.

I love to take out the ornaments I made as a child. I love to remember those sleepless Christmas Eves, and those early, early Christmas mornings. I still wake before 6 on Christmas Day, and I hope I always will.

Most of all, I love to listen to the Muppets Christmas album, made with John Denver, when I was still so very young. No other listening experience can fill me with such warmth, such comfort, and such intrinsic faith in humanity. It reminds me who I could have been, and maybe who I could still be, through the eyes of my daughter. That maybe I don't have to be so cynical. That if I turn off the news, maybe it just doesn't happen.

And so I hang garlands on my door. And lights in my trees. And hope in my heart for peace on earth, and good will towards everyone.

I hope everyone had as fine a day as I did. The Minotaur got a raise at work, in recognition of his most excellent guarding of the labyrinth. The Kraken overturned only one ship, and all the passengers were rescued by a passing Coast Guard ship. And it is Friday. And it is almost Christmas.