Aren't the Holidays Wonderful?

For me, the answer to that question is a resounding "NO"!   I expect that is mainly due to my childhood.  The first thing was my mother was a very devout Jehovah's Witness.   They did not believe in celebrating (or even participating) in any holidays.  Not even birthdays.  Christmas was an especially big 'no-no'.  My dad, on the other hand, hated the Jehovah's Witnesses with a passion but he was in favor of anything which kept him from spending money when he did not want to.

Then, add to it the fact I was the only child who had a Witness for a parent in the whole school and we come up with some very painful memories of the holidays.  But, let us take a quick review.  No birthday cake, birthday presents, birthday party, Christmas presents, trick-or-treat on Halloween, no valentines, no Easter baskets, could not even bring eggs to the Easter egg hunt.  On top of that I could not even say the Pledge of Allegiance or be in the Christmas play.

This was one of the reasons and, perhaps, the biggest reason I was such a misfit in school.  Kind of embarrassing when everyone gives you a valentine but you have zero to give back.  Kind of embarrassing on the first day of school after Christmas vacation when everyone is talking about what presents they got and ask you and you have to say, 'nothing'.

Then there was the "drawing of names" to exchange gifts with your classmates.  For some years I just did not participate but then I hit on the idea of twisting my name up in such a way as I could tell it by feel and always drew my own name so I could escape that way.

I guess Halloween was not too bad.  I had to stay home but I got to share some of the candy the kid mother baby sat for got.  It was not such a big thing at school either.  Much easier for a kid to deal with than Christmas and Valentine's Day.  Even Easter was not as difficult.  Even though I did not get to contribute eggs I still got to do the Easter egg hunt.  I just had to eat all my eggs before going home.

I remember my mother often saying (and it was the Witness 'party line'), "We don't wait until a birthday or Christmas to give our children things.  We give them all through the year."   I guess they just did not often feel like giving to  me.  Other than lectures and spankings that is. 

And, being the only Witness child in the school I had to endure an awful lot of torment just for that.  Just one of the many reasons I have such a low opinion of organized religion I guess.  That and the utter hypocracy of most of the ultra religious people I've known.

It is amazing how our childhood can have such a lasting impact on us.  I always wanted to make sure my children enjoyed having birthdays and looked forward to Christmas or exchanging Valentines.  I guess it is natural for a parent to want to spare one's children all the pain he or she can. 

Now the kids are all grown up, married and have kids of their own so I guess it will be mostly for the grand kids now.  I hope they always have something to look forward to for the holidays.  Being an outcast is not a lot of fun until one gets older and realizes he has become a hermit and really does not particularly like having people around.  I hope my kids never get that way nor allow my grand kids to get that way.  Though, I must admit, we VanHoose's make pretty good hermits.