Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Happy Holidays

Hope vs. Gloom. That’s the challenge of this particular holiday season. Whether one should rejoice in our own good fortune—I do every day—or to seek yet more news of the growing economic calamity of the global financial meltdown.
Whenever I have sat down to write something, whether for my Blog, or for my weekly article for our local newspaper, now defunct, I had to decide which of my two sets of thoughts I had to try to convey. I’m perhaps known more for gloom and doom than for my sunny side. I was even castigated by readers of the Concord Standard for being too negative. My standard position on this issue has been, “if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.”
George Bush has been such a complete disaster that it has been somewhat difficult to put on a smiley face and pretend that everything is really ok. It isn’t folks. It really isn’t. I sometimes wonder why someone as smart as Barack Obama was willing to put his brain to the test this way. Between the Islamists, who are perennially outraged at us, enough to persist in their attempts to wipe us from the face of the Earth, and the financial wizards Bush set free to pillage and plunder, I wonder how anyone can begin to recapture the magic of the holiday season.
Then, when we stopped at our daughter’s home this morning, Samantha, our granddaughter, wouldn’t let me leave without giving her a hug. She provided the needed spark of light—the warmth and essential reason for happiness in this season. It is really all about sharing love unconditionally. Whatever President Doofus does, or doesn’t do, my granddaughter still wants a hug. And so do I.
When asked about the fact that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, President Doofus responded, “So what?” So, there is really no helping or pardoning him. We really must just move on, leaving him to whatever personal Hell is awaiting him in his billion dollar mansion in Dallas (27 days, folks). But we need to move on. We need to look ahead. Really, we need to look into the faces of our children and grandchildren, and see the love in their eyes. We need to smile at a stranger and wish them well.
Maybe next year will be difficult. Hopefully, we will be able to weather this perfect storm. But we need to remember that this really is the first day of the rest of our lives. We need to smile, just because there is still love in the air. Capture the love. Hold it close. It will help to guide us through this storm.
We must never forget that there are many people falling by the wayside because of our inept leadership. They need and mostly deserve our help. But we must not let that keep us from continuing on this strange and wonderful journey called life.
A joyous holiday to all of you out there who occasionally take the time to read my wandering prose.
Live in peace.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A beautiful photo. We have all taken the leap fo faith - and had children. That is always the hope. Last night my nephew welcomed his baby daughter into the world. More sweetness. More hope. More reasons to celebrate.
Claudia