The Dude sent a BABY! The Ruse of Christmas, An Atheist in Heaven, I Dare you to Out Happy Me

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"
— Dr. Seuss 

Merry Christmas and cheers if you have little ones in your home, we are past that stage; next year, we should have three little ones stopping by; today, it's just older adults. Christmas is fun for the older folks, but it is magical for the kids. It gives their young minds something to believe in; Christmas, in many ways, is like faith.

As for me, it's just me and Parker Van Halen, she's to my right eating the last bit of a pizzle, and my wife is still in bed.   We enjoyed each other yesterday, hanging out, getting a bite to eat, and then coming home and hanging out in our kitchen. We have some food made for today; we plan to relax and eat beef tenderloin and start our day with a mimosa.

As a child, I loved Christmas; I would wake up at 4:00 a.m., wait for my sister and then head downstairs. We had stockings by the window since we didn't have a chimney. The tree was full of presents, and before too long, my aunt and uncle would come over, and we would unwrap our gifts. After that, we would have breakfast at our house and then in the afternoon would go to the Townsends to recite the Christmas Story before a big meal.

When my wife and I began having kids, we went up to Decatur, Indiana. We would go to Grandma Love's house, where she had three trees and a house full of presents. There were years we couldn't fit all the gifts in our car, and we would have to return to get the bounty. When the kids woke up the next day, there were always reindeer tracks, the carrots we left out were partially gone, and half-eaten cookies were on Santa's plate, proving the man in the red suit had visited.

I think the ruse of Christmas is a lot like telling your wife she looks good in that new dress. Words with a bit of truth blended in with some mistruth help society function. Mistruths can lead to order; you don't want to be on Santa's naughty list. Full throttle penetrating truths have their place, but sometimes the facts are shaded in life. Rarely in our world do we operate under the whole truth, nothing but the truth, so help us, God.

Thankfully, my wife looks good in that new dress, and I believe in something bigger than myself. Maybe I trust a large man lives in the north with many little people making toys and delivering them in 24 hours to all the good boys and girls around the globe. Always remember to receive; you must believe.

If you think about it, God could have sent a warrior to help us understand his way, truth, and light. Wouldn't it have been more impressive if someone like the Rock showed up and said, "My Dad sent me here to show you how to live?" That would be a logical move by the creator of our world, but instead, he chooses to send a baby—a helpless little being who could grow up with loving parents and had an early wit. A pretty strong move if you think about it.

So today, it's all about the baby, and in April, it's all about the bearded man. At 52, I'm leaning into the story of Christ; what an excellent example to follow. I think all faiths have examples of how to live your best life. Since I was born in the cornfields of Indiana, I'm a Christian; if I had been born in the Middle East, I might have followed a different quarterback. I do not care what you believe; it's a very personal decision and one that each man or woman should decide for themselves.

After getting diagnosed with stage four cancer, the famous atheist Christopher Hitchens asked if he would be willing just to say he believed to increase his chances of getting into heaven. He said, "no, I think it disingenuous to lie. I'm fully prepared to meet the creator and say you did not give me enough proof to believe. Much like God sending a baby, I think a strong move. Is it possible that an atheist enter the gates of heaven? I have an answer, and I think you might as well, but our responses are probably different.

To my left is a crocheted black-framed linen made by Santa Clyde. My cell phone will ring in a few hours, and Santa Clyde, aka Clyde Small, will say, "Merry Christmas from Santa Clyde."  Clyde, now 83, has made this a part of his life for many years, and I look forward to our annual chat. I'll thank him for his handy work, and the new piece of art will be hung in our mountain house.

I must say it's a little more complicated than usual today to craft a message. Of course, this day is special. Nevertheless, I feel an undue pressure to pen some thoughts and ideas aligned with the spirit of the birth of a God. I hope your family has thrived this year; we grew our family with our last kid getting married. We are expecting three babies by May, and all our family is healthy and happy.

Today, try and keep your strong beliefs to yourself, do not argue, but choose love over a disagreement. You may be right, you may be wrong, but today is not the day to stand on your soapbox and pontificate about your views on this or that. Instead, turn your attention to the reason for the season, an eternal existence, the most precious gift given by something bigger than ourselves. I am grateful to have been born in the Greatest Country in the history of the world by two loving parents and enjoying life with a one-legged sister. You are reading the words of the happiest man you will meet today, but I challenge you to out happy me, try it, I dare you.

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"
— Dr. Seuss