Though I will be flying home, as in every year, this christmas, I must say that Qatar gave me a tremedous spiritual growth in every aspect of my life as a christian.
It peels off the festive show-offs... and what remains is what is simply in the heart.

I am sometimes saddened back at home, when I feel Christmas is so deprived of its true meaning...
With a Christmas feast, and so much attention to decorative details and to guests, I feel as a prisoner of a festive ritual, while I would have loved to do it much differently.

Oh...for those of you who are wondering why don't I do it diffferently, it's to honor my father, who is 78, and longs for having us around him on Christmas eve.

My little son already knows the full birth story, he loves Santa but he knows Santa is only a festivity, while the truth is in our Lord's birth.

Nevertheless, I've been listening to Christmas Carols and Christmas songs in my car since early October...