Christmas is my favorite season. It has nothing to do with gifts (either giving or getting) and everything to do with the peace and goodwill I feel at this time of year. One of my favorite things to do is bask in the light of the Christmas tree and listen to music or read a book and just be.
Maybe it’s just nostalgia that makes this season seem a time of more peace and joy and goodwill than other times of year. I don’t know—and I truly don’t care to delve too deeply. Sometimes a mystery is best left unsolved.
The world today is in great need of peace and goodwill. During this past year, I have shed too many tears for murdered strangers and the future we are leaving my daughter. I have lived too much with fear—fear for my country’s future and my daughter’s safety. I have screamed too loudly at the endless stupidity, greed, and hate that are shoving humanity to the brink of collapse.
I need this Christmas. I need to remember that there are many good people in this world. That there is a future worth fighting for. That the fight is not futile. That this mess of a world is not the world I am destined to leave my daughter.
I need this Christmas spirit to remind me that every act of kindness pushes back the darkness. That it is never too late to be the candle in the window. That one person can make a difference.
I am that one person.
You are that one person.
We can change the world.
We must change the world.
Peace on Earth…
Let’s do this.
But first I need this Christmas to fortify my soul.
Year-End Reflections: Looking back to move forward
I know that we still have a few weeks until the end of 2016, but I’m in a reflective mood. Thanksgiving was a time to reflect on the many good things in my life. My upcoming birthday is a time to see where I am and where I’m going. Christmas is always a time of joy and hope. And eventually the New Year will be here. So my year-end reflections linger for quite a long time.
Thanksgiving was hectic this year, with a compressed travel time, but the holiday did hold some quiet moments—and a great deal to be thankful for. My family means the world to me, and the fact that we are all healthy, safe, and content in our lives is a blessing.
Christmas has long been my favorite time of year. The idealist in me has always responded to the “peace on earth, goodwill to men” mantra of the season. I’m all for anything that makes people actively think about how they treat other people, and encourages generosity and inclusion. With the recent election leaving so many people reeling and frightened for themselves or people they love, I need the healing power of Christmas to help me get back to believing in the inherent goodness of people.
Christmas decorations also brings back a lot of memories in my year-end reflections. So many of my ornaments are sentimental as well as beautiful. The Little Drummer Boy commemorating the year I played said character while having a high fever and dealing with a similarly ill cast:
An Egyptian-themed ball that I bought for my best friend, who died before we exchanged presents:
Many horse and unicorn ornaments, because, well, horses and unicorns!
New family ornaments for my wedding and my daughter’s birth:
I don’t need an angel to show me that I have had a pretty wonderful life.
Then comes New Year, that time of year is intimately associated with resolutions. No resolutions for me, but I do create goals for the year—both personal and business. For instance, I have new plans for marketing my book. Also, I need to push outside my personal comfort zone to continue to expand my career.
So this past week I have indulged in some year-end reflections. Overall, I’m happy with where I am, and looking forward to the road ahead. I’m a little nervous, because life stories always have unexpected plot twists, but I hope I can rise to meet any challenges I face.
Does the end of the year make you thoughtful, or is it just another time of year for you?
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