There are a lot of things that come to mind when you mention the word, “civil.” Civil Rights. Civil War. Civil Union. Civil Liberties. When I hear the word, “civil” I think of being courteous and polite. Then, I think of civil unions. It’s funny how the right to love is political. Who you love and how you love has been a source of contention for centuries. Yet, the very word “civil” means to be polite. Are we civil in our marriages? Are we civil in our politics? Are we civil in how we exercise our freedoms? Are we civil in how we practice our beliefs? Are we civil in how we express our love for each other? The root word of civilization is civil, and yet we struggle with basic rights and social interactions. What would happen if during this Christmas season, we actually practiced what we preached? What if we were civil in all of our human interactions? Food for thought.