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WAKE UP TIME
Sunday Dec. 25, 2016
Time to rise. Put on some coffee, listen for the sound children make when they wake to see what is under that decorated tree …
Greetings everyone.
To celebrants of Christmas and Chanukah, I wish you good health and happy times with friends and family. To those who don’t celebrate those occasions, I wish you a pleasant Sunday.
This is just another day – the planet doesn’t change, critters don’t – this is a people day, behavior day, hopes dreams and aspirations day. For the faithful, history and its teachings to revere and celebrate. For non-believers, feast and gifts are secular. And I mean no disrespect to Christians, Jews or any other group who might take umbrage with me, this day is secular.
Watching children and grandchildren delight in new toys, fresh pajamas and just the thrill of opening packages reaffirms for me that the world is good, not troubled. That the world is happy, not tragic. That the world is for living even though sadness, cruelty and death are too common in too many places – because the world is, generally, becoming more peaceful, more hopeful and more generous every day. Temporary role players (i.e. Trump, Putin, Amri, Princess Leia, Santa, the 2nd coming of Trudeau etc.) fill our newspapers but not our hearts. Next year will bring another pack of talking heads and gloom-doom predictors, predators and bad apples. And next year, like this one, will end with ceremonial celebrations just like this one. We don’t keep the lights or trees up all year – but once a year, for at least a day, we can muse a bit, hope a bit, that the spirit of a day like today could last longer and this over-retailed manufactured mood could last a little longer – perhaps not forever, but at least until we can have peace on earth. And goodwill toward everyone …
Poof!
Wake up – that’s just tryptophan dozing … you really are still here, today will come and go just like today. And go easy on that gravy – it’s doing horrible things to your arteries.
Gusta and I are in Fort Saskatchewan – just finished our walk around our virtually vacant hotel, heading over shortly to laugh and play with my grandchildren. It will be a day of visiting and food, but mostly it is Isla and Alex’s day …
To everyone, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah – have a great Sunday.
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