amen to that

Lately things have been, well less than great. I hate having horrible weeks.
But I want to try and focus on the good things in my life. The things that keep me going, that make me happy, that help me keep hoping...

Like these friends
and sisters
and bike rides
and sunny days
and fancy drinks with umbrellas
and game nights
and dressing up
and nights out
and nights in
and knowing that there are these people to turn to,
laugh with,
cry to,
have fun adventures with
and create lasting memories with

huh? how did we get here?

So during my teaching social studies class today I realized a few things...
1- I am completely....what's the word I am looking for....sarcastic? Pessimistic? and
2- I don't know if I can teach in a place where I am not allowed to celebrate any holidays, including the important ones (to me, like Christmas ans Easter).

--Our discussion was on holidays and we had to list ones that were not religious. Holidays such as Valentines Day and Thanksgiving came up (of course). And my opinion of what these holidays are? (Promise not to hate me....)

*Valentines Day- a stupid hallmark created holiday to increase sales of cheesy cards and chocolate, while making half (or more than) the population feel alone and unworthy. Great idea!

*Then there is Thanksgiving....the holiday we celebrate to remember our ancestors, who came over for religious freedom (for only their religion) where they massacred an entire (almost) population and then tried to convert those left. Sounds like a great holiday (which is of course now celebrated by stuffing ourselves...such an American thing to do).
Don't get me wrong, I do kinda enjoy Thanksgiving (but mostly for the time off and the time with family and friends, and of course the food. ) In some ways I have seen it to be better than celebrating Christmas (which is my favorite holiday) because it is not so consumer driven that we are so focused and bent out of shape on getting "that gift" for Johnny that he'll use only once as opposed to what it really is all about.

Which brings me to....while yes, we may have a lot of holidays based on Christian religions (because yes it was Christians that came over here and took over) they aren't what I would call "Christian holidays". Valentines day could be considered a Christian holiday, because it is about a saint....but there is no Christianity in the reason behind celebrating it (at least anymore).
It just makes me so mad that we have made every holiday so secular. It makes me wonder....what are we celebrating? Is Easter about a man who died on the cross for all of humanity and then rose again, or is it about a chocolate bunny? Is Christmas about the birth of a Savior or is it about a fat man putting presents in a stocking? Is America really a Christian society or are we now the secularized version of Christianity?