As a young, Conservative woman, my entire life has been caught up in the whole debate between “Happy Holidays” and “Merry Christmas.” I honestly cannot remember a time when I did not hear both in equal amounts. I guess it’s just a byproduct of the Progressive cultural environment of my youth. Yet, it has become increasingly more clear that it is the responsibility, the duty, of those who wish to say “Merry Christmas” to fade into the background. This is simply because typically those who say “Happy Holidays” are the ones who identify as Liberals, as people who cannot reconcile the idea that others perhaps may have views other than theirs. I mean, look at President-Elect Trump; he is getting so much backfire for saying he wants to abolish “Happy Holidays!” This is front-page news for some strange and absurd reason. We have allowed two words to be more important than foreign policy, the economy, immigration, poverty, or so many other things that require our attention!

So, at this point in my life, I’m taking a stance. I am so sick of feeling like a cruel person for wishing someone a “Merry Christmas.” When in the world did that become a crime? To reach out to the person in front of you and wish them a safe, joyful, and restful time with their family? This debate has gotten out of hand to the point that we get angry over the color of the cups at our favorite coffee chain. I want, for the first time in my life, to not worry about how I tell the greeter at Walmart that I wish her a restful 25th of December.

So here’s what I’m going to do. I am going to stop saying “Happy Holidays” all together. I am going to address every woman, man, and child the way my heart wants to. Because, honestly, isn’t that the “Reason for the Season?” To be Christ to every person we meet by being Love and Joy? We should be greeting and loving on people in the coldest, darkest time of the year with joy and goodness straight from our hearts rooted in Christ. I am going to stop allowing political correctness to stand in the way of joy and goodness. I am going to put up my Christmas tree and invite neighbors over, regardless of whether my tree would offend them. I am going to be kinder, be warmer, and be more focused on love. So the next time a Liberal is “triggered” over “Merry Christmas?” Just hand them a Christmas cookie; they probably need one.