Good Morning World and Merry Christmas; Happy Holidays and a bit of me.

I have finished my Christmas shopping but am now shopping for me. I am all good. Yesterday I was running errands all day buying the last minute few things. I went to Walmart to buy skin cream I like and it was locked up. I also had to buy lipstick I can only find there and guess what? It was locked up. Apparently people are stealing all the stuff so it is now locked up. I have always had sympathy when people steal food, but not for cosmetics. We all suffer when people steal, because the prices just go up and that is not necessary during these times. What I noticed as I was wishing everyone a Merry Christmas adding on Happy Holidays for those who don't celebrate Christmas is I was getting a great smile. Their faces actually lit up and I am sure it was not only my beauty. I suppose they are not hearing "Merry Christmas" too often. So, try it, if you like and see if you get those great smiles. With gift giving this year don't forget your mailman and garbage collectors. When I gave my garbage men their small gifts, they told me they really appreciate it. I always get a big thank you from my postman who has been AWOL. I miss him and hope he is ok. We have been having some problems in Toronto and Canada with some hatred and a youth was arrested in Ottawa, because extremists on the internet got him interested to make bombs or such with the objective to cause harm to the Jewish community. His father claimed his son is naive and that is why he was radicalized however, our News reporters looked up Daddy's Facebook page and you guessed it, he was bashing Jews. Of course now daddy says his lawyer has advised him to keep his trap shut and his face book page is gone--poof---.(This is alleged of course) Listen people out there. These people who try to get you to do terrible things do not care about you. Their specialty is hate in the crudest terms. Talk to your parents if you can. Please report them to the Police. If you are feeling lonely and scared talk to your guidance teacher, school psychologist or your clergy. And clergy, since we are on the topic......You need to speak up against hatred. You know that all this stuff that is going on in the world is wrong. Let me tell you a story, since it is Christmas and I am missing many of my friends. Let me tell you about Ovey. Ovey was born Muslim and he was raised by a Muslim woman, single mother. Ovey became a Catholic Priest. Ovey also became my favourite Professor. Ovey loved the Muslim community. Each year the Muslim community would send him a reminder that he had to donate a percentage (if memory serves me right, it was 10%) to charity. They had assumed he was Muslim because of his last name. He described the differences between the two designations of the Muslim Religion and of course he got me to ask questions for those who may not have walked the path of Mohammed. Of course, I could ask all the questions. That is what students do. Then I would have people coming to explain things and of course I would throw in what I learned and was accurate here and there. After I graduated we became friends and often went out to dinner. He told me that during one Christmas (I think it was Christmas. I can't remember what country but I am sure I have already talked about it somewhere)Christians beat up a Catholic Priest. A Muslim man found him badly beaten and brought him home and took care of him, bringing him back to health. True Story. His love for the Muslim people resonated with me as us all being one people. People who are causing harm don't even know what their religion teaches and it is up to the Religious leaders to speak up especially to the young people to let them know right from wrong when youths are lead astray. Yesterday was surprising to me as I wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays because I was surprising people pleasantly and that made me wonder. This Christmas I understand that many will not have money for presents, but you can make something. You can write a poem for someone, telling them how important they are to you. You can draw a picture and say how they are presented in the drawing. You can make a craft....I remember as a child our teacher giving us paper so we could make a card and stick in paper where we cut slits to say what chores they would get from us as gifts (I don't think I ever did to the chores, but I made them happy with the thougt). Most of all this Christmas, be kind. Christmas can be very difficult for many. This is a time to reach out and if you can, give something. Even if it is a cookie. Wrap it up in saran wrap and tie a ribbon. It doesn't have to be much to make someone's day. Merry Christmas. It is never to late to make changes in your life. It is never too late to choose love. What do you think?