Mrrzy,

Having a crying meltdown would not at ALL seem blasphemous to me, Mrrzy. That's the point, I think. I think the best kind of time with people you love, and people you DON'T love, for that matter, includes the good and the bad. If it only included smiling faces of well-behaved people who opened and appreciated perfect gifts perfectly given, that would seem to me to be distinctly UNholy celebration. It's only when the turkey burns and the kid is brought home by the police for shoplifting that you start to figure out holy love.

And I don't mean to say everyone, every thing, every experience is holy and sacred. I meant only to pin that on your response to Mmario's thoughts, just to recognize that there is stuff we don't get, but that many people ascribe 'religion' to. And I KNOW that you're disagreeing; that's fine!

What I think you're saying is, take the STUFF out of all this, get rid of the baggage, the labels, the otherworldliness of it. I'm inclined to feel that way as well, but I am also inclined to believe that there ARE some things worth paying attention to on a deeper level, sometimes at the change of seasons, sometimes for no reason at all, and that doesn't mean YOU have to do it, or that you have to use the same words if you DO.

Dani