"A few years ago, I spent some time thinking about the meaning of Christmas. I am afraid I shocked my Christian neighbours when they realised I was looking for the secular meaning of Christmas, not the story of the baby in the manger. I think there is a wider, nonreligious meaning to the holiday, which I thought I would share....

"People are a value.

"This is important. ... [W]e have an amazing standard of living. And we have it because of the millions of people — in our country and around the world — who are putting in a small, medium, or large effort to create values in the world. Some of these values are products or services we happily buy because they make our lives easier, or more productive, or more meaningful, or more enjoyable. Some of these values they just put out into the world, such as their funny cat videos or 'how to' videos for the gadget you just purchased and can’t get to work.

"So, I see Christmas as a time to celebrate the good in the people around you and in the world. To be grateful for the best within them and to recognise the value of that to you."

~ Jean Moroney from her post 'Goodwill to Man' [hat tip Gus Van Horn]

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