One particular Christmas will forever standout in my memory. Was somewhere between '76 and '79. Grew up with an absent alcoholic father. Christmas eve, had no electricity, possibly no running water, dirt poor. Went to bed hungry, with hopes of a Christmas miracle. Woke up Christmas day and found no miracle had happened - still no electricity, no tree, no gifts, and no more food than the night before (which was none). Although I was old enough to know there was no Santa, beyond hope, I had prayed "something" would occur. I awoke to reality, it was a nothing Christmas. Ironically, was attending a very rich private school (they didn't get paid either, carried us for many years till the unpaid bill was just to big to ignore). After that year, my older sister made sure that never happened again, and "food drives for the hungry" at school somehow ended up at our house (although embarrassed, was quite grateful for the food). Am much older now, but the memory of that Christmas comes to mind every year. Am sure that I and my siblings overcompensated for that by having as much of a lavish Christmas as possible for our own kids. But the lesson was not lost on me. Christmas, it seems, has become over-commercialized. Seems even people of little/NO faith will break out their decorations and compete to have the "best decorated" house on the block, with plenty of lavish and expensive gifts under the tree. Sad how a celebration of Christian faith has become despicably lost in commercialism. Whatever your religious or political beliefs may be, I ask that you donate to your local food pantries so that the less fortunate families can at least eat a meal together, or volunteer time as family to a homeless shelter/ soup kitchen. keep the spirit of the season alive by giving of yourself to those in need.