Last posting pre-Christmas

[this post is from an international drumming listserve.
Ditto! from this blogger!
Merry Deal, Ya'll!]

"I am not a Christian........................I actually am some sort of hodge podge of a Buddhist with a smattering of many different world religions (Sufiism, Hinduism, Christianity, etc.) thrown into my mutt of a disembodied subarban California soul.

I did grow up in a Christian country, however, and for all the awful things that have been done in that Christ's name, the festival of Christmas has also come to be associated with the giving of gifts and the ritualistic appreciation of friends and family in our culture......................it is a time of Peace and a time ofCelebration..............where people get together (sometimes for the only time during the year) and celebrate family.

The Christmas meal is always the most bounteous meal of the year and something I look forward to. I n my family (from the south of the United States originally) traditionally, we have Stuffed Turkey, Cornbread dressing, Mashed Potatoes, Homeade Cranberry Sauce, Pickled Peaches (might sound bad but these are unbelivably delicious and sweet), Marshmallow Candied Yams and a token Vegetable or two.

With the weather much colder and the nights much longer, it is a time where we celebrate our similarities, not our differences. A time when we celebrate generosity of spirit....................the giving of gifts, whether they be phsyical gifts or just the gift of quality time spent with each other.

In this spirit, I would like to wish everyone on this list and all the people on this planet a Merry Christmas.

Somehow I think that if Mohammed and Christ and Buddha and Shiva and Moses were all to have a meal right now, they'd all agree that they want peace on earth and brotherhood and sisterhood and solidarity to reign on Planet Earth. I think they would laugh and smile a lot around the dinner table and that they would probably pick up frame drums and sing songs together. I'd love to think so, at least.

No US and Them.

I feel blessed to be on this list with all of you from around the world with different philosophies and religions.

Merry Christmas
Happy Channuka
Joyous Solstice
Bodacious Kwaanza
to everyone!"