The Season Reasons

In the last blog, I wanted to share the holidays and all that it can entail. It's a great time of year for me anyway.

There are decorations in all kinds of random places. Even a wandering string of Xmas lights on a dumpster.

A time to spend with family or those close to you. A moment of hurried relationships in order for them not to be all alone or for some of my shallow friends to dream of outrageous gift ideas to try and top last year. (God Bless Them).

It takes an Island. No Judgements on anyone. When I meet someone, I don't spend my time analyzing every single thing about them. I spend my time liking and loving them as they are as people. The things I can't fix are what I was drawn to anyway. For me I like the out of the box ones. It is a winner!!!

There is Peppermint everywhere. Iced Coffee and endless supplies of candy canes.

It is the time of year for good spirits. The holiday season does something to people. It’s like everyone is happy and cheerful during these holiday months. Like everyone took a Prozac..... Don't ask!!

In some areas, it could be the quietness of the snow draping over everything and making it beautiful even in an auto salvage yard.

For the people that personally know me, they know that its the time of year that I am going to be heading face first into decorations and countless bows. Wreaths, lights and Christmas trees everywhere!!

I really love the holidays. Whether it's heading up a Toy Drive to decorating families houses in need. It could be a simple gesture for drinks or dinner for some that are by themselves.

My irony here is I am a Jew. Raised by a Jewish mother in a traditional Episcopal southern home. Every year the decorations would haunt me and my jewish friends. They were everywhere. Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, it commemorates the victory of a small group of Jewish rebels(Maccabee brothers).. over the armies of Syria in 165 B.C.E. and the subsequent liberation and "rededication" of the Temple in Jerusalem.

The eight days and the lighting of the candles represent the eight oil lamps that burned without fuel(miracle of light) in the temple. Christmas is something we can do easily because it's Christian and we really did did want to do something like that because it was American. Hence trying to be accepted here in society. But that's for another time. Another story!

We are just trying to get festive here, not produce a PBS special.

In the primary grades and into beginning years of High School, I was a tenor/soprano in the Atlanta Boys Choir. I had almost a four octave range at one point. For the holiday season, I would present and sing a solo, "Ave Maria" or "O Holy Night" in various locations around the South, on bridges, in airports and various stages set up around the cities in the south.

For a Jew it had more impact than "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, made it out of clay", Then Dreidel I shall play.

One of the songs for Hanukkah

I was voice major in high school at one point and I needed to sing. It worked out well. There would be statements, "I did not know you were a Jew" after my performance.

Let's set the stage for my story with a Holiday Favorite

But enough about me or rather not enough.

So, We begin here. A young boy was tossed out into world from his house and be told to never return to his home.

Without warning! He would end up staying with assorted high school friends and college dorms over the next two weeks.

That was all the time that people would give him. The boy or should I say a junior in high school was fortunate enough to have an incredible mom. During those two weeks, the mother had located a one bedroom studio apartment that she wanted to move him to live. She furnished it completely down to the towels and throw pillows.

It was the holiday season!

She had decorated the entire place with garland and lights everywhere. There was even a fully decorated to the max, Christmas Tree. And more Christmas lights!!!

So one day this boy was picked up from the college dorm and brought to a new place. When the boy opened the door to apartment, he fell down and cried and cried. Cried so loudly that there were pounding of fists on the walls from the neighbors, "Shut Up".

It was at the very moment, the boy would realize the joy of the season, the joy of giving and the joy of a mom and her son. The mother said, "See, it is not all about candles". "The season is about decorations and lights". "It is about the heart" This would be the memory that would live on in this boy, this young man, this Jew forever.

That boy was me!!!

Every year I am reminded of that night. Reminded of the magic of the holiday season. Reminded of the joy and love that comes during the season.

The Christmas season is not mine. It's for everyone. Just like Hanukkah. It is about family, about tradition. It is all about hope, magic and "Believing".

The holiday season can represent so much joy and laughter. For some of us, it can be a really difficult and tough time... Lost loved ones, of lost jobs, of lost hopes. Of feeling all alone. A time when you lose a parent or they just disappeared one day. It can take your breath away.

The reason I get so up in your face about the holiday season, is I want to share the moment I discovered that over the top christmas decorated apartment. I want them to have the smile on their face that stayed with me to this very day. As I write, I am laughing and smiling so much.

The season is all about giving.

Giving from the heart.

Without expectations of even a simple thank you. It is the expression on their faces and the joy you feel. It cannot be purchased. I know I tried!!

For everyone it is different. I just want to let someone know that they really matter.

Let them know they were not forgotten. To let them know someone that does not even know them just wants to give from the heart. I do it to remember the love from my incredible Mom. To remember that holiday season that I was not tossed and thrown away. I wanted to remember that I matter.

There you have it, that's why I get so excited about the holiday season.

It is why I love it so much.

It reminds me of my Mom.

The holiday season is all about traditions. That's why every year without fail, I decorate my home wherever I am currently living for the holidays. There are years I am not into it to be quite honest. I still go thru the motions in hopes that it will trigger that joy of the season until I get the spirit of the holidays. There are years that I countdown to midnight after Halloween to start decorating. Like this year in fact.

With all that has happened this year, it was really needed more than ever at least for me. I am eternally grateful for the holiday memories I have had and will continue to have over the years. I am thankful that my tragedy was turned around for me. It is just too special to keep to myself. So you could maybe say, "That's why this Jew loves Christmas".

"Any questions"? "Come on, I am here all night".

It was time to share that with you guys, my readers. This blog is personal to me on so many levels. I want to share my messages. my hopes and maybe give a glimpse or two of myself. In the end I have got to real. It is the best and only way.

It takes courage to open yourself up to everyone, To strangers. It takes courage to save someone.

Thank you for reading my post, "The Season Reasons". Please have a great holiday season!

This year is all about the challenges none of have had to face before. New territory all the way.

It did not come with instructions or maybe like some of you, you maybe tossed them.

All I can say is "Good Luck" trying to put together that table from Ikea!!!

Try to be there for each other.

It is a spiral of emotions, all of them. My actor friends deal with this daily. I always am so amazed by how they can draw from them at a moments notice to do a scene.

My mission this year along with the random trees I have decorated (Try doing them on a front porch or a garage because of Covid) is to keep as many of my tribe as happy as we can be.

Like any tragedy, there are losses but there is hope for the light.

I always choose my own battles. This will never be one of them.

The Light of Christmas. Love to you all. "Happy Holidays"

Rand Angel for Live Live Live. Shalom! Let's end with some dancing involved.