I have been called a Grinch more often than I want to this time of year. It's not that I try to be a Grinch. I love Christmas and everything it means. I think it has something to do with what other people think and do — fancy parties, gifting trips, spending for the sake of spending, out-decorating your neighbor — and other things that have nothing to do with being with your family and remembering that it is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

As I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate the hymns of Christmas and loathing such songs as "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," although I did sing along with that song the one time I heard it on the radio this year. Listening to the hymns puts me more in the spirit than listening to "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas."

Also, show me lots of kids enjoying Christmas, whether it’s performing in a pageant, singing carols or receiving gifts. That boosts my Christmas spirit. 

I guess you could say that the commercialization of the holiday has gotten to me and I sometimes feel like climbing up Mount Crumpit to join the Grinch. Don't worry, I won't be like that foul creature and steal your Christmas presents and tree. Just wish me a Merry Christmas and I will return the greeting with a smile. Perhaps, like the Grinch, my heart and my Christmas spirit will grow three fold in the days ahead.