The Opposition of Holidays

I love holidays. I hate holidays.

I love that people get together with their families. I love that there is a searching for a higher meaning to living that comes with each. I love that there are opportunities to investigate into those meanings. I love that people wish each other well. I love the sense of camaraderie that comes from a centralized celebratory state of mind.

I hate that people don't know the deeper meanings behind what they are celebrating. I hate that people want to be satisfied, and look towards all the wrong things to satisfy them. I hate that people are left empty. I hate that camaraderie ends. I hate the media hype behind holidays. I hate that we are expected on these specific days to uphold some form of character that may or may not be a natural characteristic of ourselves, and on that holiday, all good form is attributed to it. I hate the excess of waste that comes from decorating, and advertising, and disposable knick-knacks.

Now, if you know me. I am not bad mouthing holidays. I do appreciate the good that comes from them. I also understand the media point of view and what-not. I am not saying we should do away with them, or traditions that come with them. I just don't want to be expected to do something because it's a holiday. If it's expected. It doesn't truly come from the heart. No wait; it has the potential to not come from the heart.

I think before we do something that is attributed to the holidays, we should reflect and see if we would do those things otherwise. Like spending quality time with our families. Or smiling at the people we pass on the street. Do we do these things regularly? Do we try to make every day special for the people we care about? Do we care enough to be a better person on Wednesday? Not just Easter?