2008 Woodie Awards
The Cost Of Christmas
Erica Deel
Issue date: 12/11/03 Section: Opinion
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"Every day is Christmas, so long as you can get up in the morning," I overheard an elderly woman comment the other day while riding the 28 into Newark.
She was sitting by herself, but not alone as she was surrounded by packages and parcels of gifts for the season. She was engaged in conversation with a gentleman across the bus, who thought that November 21 was too early to start thinking of Christmas, evoking the aforementioned response from the woman.
Her quote struck me, but her demeanor struck me more. Here was a woman, late on in years, traveling from her home in Newark to Bloomfield because expenses are less. Enjoying the gloriously sunny day, she bought more than she could easily handle and had difficulty boarding the bus with her heavy load.
The man with whom she later spoke jumped up from his seat to grab her bags for her: this is the true meaning of Christmas.
Sadly, in today's society, the winter holidays have become so commercialized and commodified that this "true meaning" is buried beneath piles of shiny gift boxes, hidden beneath silvery tinsel, and blinded by multicolored lights.
This "true meaning" is not religious in origin and encompasses all beliefs in all sectors of the world: it is the spirit of giving and love.
Granted, this concept of love borders on the cliché, but as much as it has been overused, many still do not fully understand nor have fully accepted it as a way of life.
"Love" is not limited to loving oneself, one's family and friends, or even one's enemy: it is the full expression of loving life.
Our time is too short and too precious to hold grudges; even if you don't agree with someone's actions or beliefs you can at least accept them for who they are, an individual entitled to be unique.
Loving life means stopping every once in a while to actually look at where you are, instead of where you are going.
She was sitting by herself, but not alone as she was surrounded by packages and parcels of gifts for the season. She was engaged in conversation with a gentleman across the bus, who thought that November 21 was too early to start thinking of Christmas, evoking the aforementioned response from the woman.
Her quote struck me, but her demeanor struck me more. Here was a woman, late on in years, traveling from her home in Newark to Bloomfield because expenses are less. Enjoying the gloriously sunny day, she bought more than she could easily handle and had difficulty boarding the bus with her heavy load.
The man with whom she later spoke jumped up from his seat to grab her bags for her: this is the true meaning of Christmas.
Sadly, in today's society, the winter holidays have become so commercialized and commodified that this "true meaning" is buried beneath piles of shiny gift boxes, hidden beneath silvery tinsel, and blinded by multicolored lights.
This "true meaning" is not religious in origin and encompasses all beliefs in all sectors of the world: it is the spirit of giving and love.
Granted, this concept of love borders on the cliché, but as much as it has been overused, many still do not fully understand nor have fully accepted it as a way of life.
"Love" is not limited to loving oneself, one's family and friends, or even one's enemy: it is the full expression of loving life.
Our time is too short and too precious to hold grudges; even if you don't agree with someone's actions or beliefs you can at least accept them for who they are, an individual entitled to be unique.
Loving life means stopping every once in a while to actually look at where you are, instead of where you are going.