Christmas Too Commercial? That's Not Such a Bad Thing

This post is not related to colitis at all. But it is something I’ve had on my mind for a while.

The thought of Christmas being too commercial has been around for a long time. In the movie, “Miracle on 34^th Street,” which came out in 1947 long before I was born, Alfred, a young janitor who works at Macy’s Department Store, says, “There's a lot of bad 'isms' floating around this world, but one of the worst is commercialism. Make a buck, make a buck . . . don't care what Christmas stands for, just make a buck, make a buck.”

Well, I am here to say that I’m grateful for commercialism. At least some of it.

Think about it.

What are your favorite things about Christmas? Mine are the Christmas lights everywhere, inside and outside, lighting up our dark world with brightness of white and color. The beautiful, shiny decorations, especially red and green, we put inside our homes, businesses, and stores, and throughout our yards and porches, and around our communities. The fragrant Christmas trees with all their decorations and lights. Children’s Christmas books that cover a wide variety of subjects and are fun to read and enjoy the illustrations. The music playing in our homes and cars, and that used to play in stores encouraging us to linger longer (and perhaps buy more.) Oh, and the movies and television specials! From movies made back in the 1940s to movies made in the last few years. And last but not least, the nativities of all sizes, shapes, and kinds that remind us of the reason we started celebrating Christmas in the first place.

Here's where the “thinking about it” comes into place.

Would we have any of those things if it wasn’t for somebody trying to “make a buck?” Would retailers bother to make Christmas lights, wreaths, garlands, stockings, angels, Santa Clauses, sleighs, reindeer, elves, snowmen, plaques, candles, bells, ornaments, gingerbread houses, placemats, table runners, plate settings, centerpieces, or any other decoration?

Would they even sell Christmas trees? I love live trees, but sadly I’m allergic, so I’m grateful to those businesses who create and sell artificial trees so I too, can have a tree in my home at Christmas time.

Would publishers, writers, and illustrators care about making children’s Christmas books to help bring the holiday spirit more into our homes if they couldn’t make a profit?

What about Christmas music, both the secular and the spiritual? There may be a few entertainers who would still record Christmas music because they love it so much, but I’m pretty sure we would have far less wonderful music to listen to at Christmas time if it wasn’t for professional singers and their producers trying to “make a buck.”  (Below is a link to a YouTube video of an old song that I just discovered that just swells my heart!)

Think of the Christmas movies and television specials that you love, that without them it just wouldn’t feel like Christmas time. I admit, I never thought for a second that my children . . . and grandchildren! . . . would still be watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” or “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer!”

And then there’s the nativity scenes. If there weren’t companies out there trying to make money, there would not be beautiful, thoughtful nativity scenes out there for us to buy, place reverently in our homes, and ponder upon time and again about the baby whose birth we celebrate. Those of us who are crafty and creative could make our own, but not all of us are so gifted and have to rely on the talents of others. And it is definitely worth it to me to pay someone for their talents so I can have something as lovely as a nativity scene (or in my case, many nativity scenes) in my home.

A lot of things inspire an enormous amount of nostalgia from my childhood, especially at Christmas time. I suspect that is the case for a lot of people. The specialness, the fun, the anticipation, and most of all the magic . . . all of the above things bring that back for me. And all of the above things help me pass that on to my children and grandchildren. All of the above things help to dispel, even if it is only for a short time, some of the negative, swirling sadness and fear in the world we live in.

Most of the things that we rely on to help us gather the Christmas spirit into our homes, to keep it there, and to spread it to others, would not be available. For those who believe in Christ, we shouldn’t need those things to remind us of Him, but this world is so full of distractions and contentions that sometimes it is good to have reminders to draw us back into that place of “peace on Earth, goodwill to men.”

And that is why I am grateful for Christmas commercialism. At least some of it!

Santa Claus (I Still Believe in You) by Alabama

Extra: We Need a Little Christmas by The New Christy Minstrels

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© Colitis Senioritis 2023

Update December 2022: And The Next Medicine Coming Up To Bat Is . . .

I had my after-colonoscopy follow-up appointment. I was anxious to talk with my doctor because for the last three weeks I have been going downhill pretty steady. (I talk about it in my November health update.)

Dr. Weber said the biopsies done during the colonoscopy still show colitis. (Duh.) He does want me to go back on prednisone (yea!) but re-emphasized that I cannot stay on it forever. He wants me to finish my current budesonide prescription before going on the prednisone, but I still have around three weeks worth of that medicine! So I've decided I'll continue for one more week, but if I continue to go downhill, I'll start the prednisone then. 

When I do go back on the prednisone, he wants me to start back on four pills, or 40 mg. That's the dosage I was originally put on back at the end of last January when I was in really bad shape. I don't think I need to go on that heavy of a dose. So I think I'll start at two pills a day and see how I feel. The last time I went back on prednisone, I was bleeding pretty bad, going to the bathroom a lot with diarrhea, and my stomach hurt all the time. I took two pills a day, and after only two days, I was able to go on a mile-long walk with my husband and dog. I know you're supposed to follow your doctor's instructions, but I've also learned that you have to listen to your body and that little voice in your head. Besides, if I go on four pills I would have to self-isolate again, as in no going to the store, no church, no being around people, including family members, and especially not children. And, well, we do have Christmas coming right up.

He also wants to start me on a medicine that is brand new. It is called Rinvoq (upadacitinib) and was FDA approved for ulcerative colitis only in March 2022. It is a pill and you only take one a day. But it is so new that some insurance companies are not paying for it yet. (It is mega-expensive, like so many of these UC medicines are, but especially because it is a new medicine.) My doctor said he needs to contact our insurance company and wrestle with them about it. One thing the insurance company may consider is I've tried multiple other medicines and they haven't worked. A definite downside to Rinvoq is it can take up to three months to work!

The doctor never came out and said it, but I got the impression he is getting a little concerned because none of the long-term maintenance medicines I've taken so far have worked. My next appointment is in March, and if this Rinvoq doesn't work, I'm pretty sure he'll put me on one of the injection medicines like Humira or Stelara.  

Once again we are in waiting mode. At least I got the okay to go back on Prednisone for awhile.

Next Update: The "Step" Dragon Rears Its Ugly Head

Previous Update: November 2022, Colonoscopy is Finished, Ended, Complete, DONE!