Wishing you happiness, joy and a politically correct cup????

“Hope your birthday is a happy one? Happy Anniversary? Get Well Soon?” hmmm…..Right cups and mugs; I don’t usually choose trending topics. There has been a lot of hoopla about Starbucks the last few days and if their throw away take out cups are inductive of the holiday season or not. Notice I said holiday season? That’s right I said it. I am a Christian but it really doesn’t matter? True religion calls someone to believe in a power greater than themselves, to become humble and to have faith in what they can't see or explain. Saying “Happy Holidays” to me simply means, I hope you enjoy the time span between Oct 31 and Jan 1 however you decide to celebrate. Saying happy holidays is about offering a greeting of happiness to someone; it’s saying I hope your next few weeks are filled with joy. It is not a statement about religious choices or even a question about if someone has a belief. Seriously do you ever see, “Wishing you a happy holiday season?” People seriously stop applying a question to the holiday season. Our holiday cards are not asking how you chose to celebrate nor are they a survey of religious preferences. Holiday greetings are supposed to just say have a great time (it is a usually followed by a period or an exclamation point). Let’s face it, it is really a secular holiday designed to allow you to celebrate however you choose (of course let's not ignore the capital gains). If you choose to take this time as most Americans do, to celebrate with family and friends, to get together, to share gifts, to be thankful, to dress up (be it Halloween, All Saints or New Year’s),to spark your religious beliefs and actually attend a holy service of some sort (don’t lie to yourself we all know Christmas and Easter services are triple attendance from the rest of the year), to take or share a dinner with those you love…..You are celebrating “A HOLIDAY” (call a spade a spade). If you can get up in the morning and go buy yourself a five dollar cup of coffee from somewhere. Yay You! You woke up, you probably have a job and your body is working. If you don’t like the throw away cup your beverage came in here is a tip; since you care about world justice. Try bringing your own cup and not contribute to environmental issues. If you can buy a Starbucks Coffee you can probably afford a reusable cup; with whatever makes you happy on the front of it. For five dollars you could make a cup at home and give breakfast to someone in need. You get the picture. So what is the right cup, attitude or right anything? The right cup is the one that makes you smile. I have a cupboard of coffee cups given to me with love by my family. Each one makes me smile when I use it because of a memory is attached to someone I love. A cup that works for you might be one that is actually full (hint...maybe we are not talking about a cup anymore????) As a Christian I am happy to celebrate with those I love throughout the coming season regardless of what moves them. I want those I care about to be happy, healthy, safe and to be in love with life. I want them to get up and actually have a cup with something in it & to look forward to each morning. Life is about potential and choices. Make choices that create joy for you but that do not cause harm to others (a throw away cup or saying happy holidays does no harm). Get up every morning and see the potential that has been given to you for that day;figure out a way to make the most of it. Learn to laugh, love and give. Giving to others is the greatest give you can give to yourself. You can do this and feel free to choose whatever coffee cup you wish, heck go crazy and put something like soda or tea in it. Be a rebel with good intentions, smile and don’t complain about things that make no difference in the life of you or others when you have the potential to make a positive impact every day in the world. So "fill your cup" and get out there and doing something good! Copyright 2015 Micheline Edwards; Five Children and a Farm White Picket Fences and Grace. “Whenever violence is done in the name of religion, we must make it clear to everyone that in such instances we are not dealing with true religion” ~Pope John Paul II 1998