I look around me at all of the animosity that exists in our world today and thankfully, at least for tonight, it’s been set aside. It’s Christmas Eve tonight and I’ve opened my gifts, given some gifts and had a wonderful meal with loved ones. But now the night is coming to a close. All of the preparations, all of the suspense, is now behind us and now I sit alone with my thoughts. I think of so many Christmases past and for the life of me I can’t think of what I ever received or gave, beyond tonight, but only of the people that I shared those celebrations with. What is it about this time of the year that can be so happy one minute and so sad the next?
I’m so happy for the little ones who are the product of the love we once had for each other. I’m so sad for those who have left us never to celebrate Christmas on earth again. If I had one bit of advice to give tonight, it would be to savor each moment, for all to soon your loved ones could scatter to the four corners of the earth and you will find yourself alone at Christmas with your memories.
But there is something that we could do that would change a lot of this. That spirit of Christmas doesn’t need to go away or be so brief, just because Christmas is over. Oh, I’m not talking about perpetual gift giving or ongoing parties. No, I’m talking about an attitude of kindness and caring for each other. You see the ability to do that lies somewhere in the minds of all of us. We just witnessed it the last few weeks. Let’s keep it going.
Mike Holst
Crosslake
