My Christmas letter to my readers
As the shortening days morph from the raw umber and burnt sienna of fall to a crystalline blanket of newly fallen snow and a landscape that is frozen white, I am reminded that in some ways, this change is a metaphor for our lives.
Although Myra and I hope for many more trips around the sun together, we are also aware that we are closing in on the final chapter in the book of our living journey; a journey punctuated by challenges and joys, tears and laughter, losses and gains, children and grandchildren, friends and extended family, moments of quiet contemplation, and a shared love that has been transcendent.
Although I don’t really think we ever took life for granted, there is something poignant and evocatively special about this time in our lives. We each have our own interests, but more and more the paths of our individuality have merged into a shared track, and many days are spent together, walking in the woods, reading by the fire, solving the world’s problems, or just being in each other’s presence. We are thankful for each other every morning when we awaken and our embraces seem more fervent now, like we are clinging to each other as each other’s very best friend.
Aside from the love we share with each other, perhaps our greatest joy comes from the closeness we experience with our children and grandchildren. These ties that bind are like a giggle in our hearts, an overflowing cup of meaningful interaction with very special people. Our children and their spouses all have wonderful careers and seem fulfilled in their lives, and our grandchildren are a constant reminder of life renewing itself.
We watch them as they’ve grown from infants to toddles to adolescents. Their interests are always changing and expanding, but the constant is the connection we share with them — from the frequent conversations via Facetime, to text message with emojis that are often far more complicated than those of us living in our Decembers will ever fully embrace or understand. And even though we understand December snow, it is in watching these young people learn and strive and grow that we are reminded of what hope truly means.
And isn’t “Hope” the message of Christmas? Into a hurt and wounded world, there is the hope for peace and reconciliation. There is hope for families; hope for friendships; hope for our communities, our country and indeed, our entire world. We may experience the incessantly growing schism that divides us, while the bonds which bind us together seem even more frayed and fragile, but this is the healing season, the time for reconciliation. It is time to let the hope and light of Christmas seep into our lives and bring us the promise of more joyful and peaceful living.
Please know that I continue to enjoy the opportunity to share my ideas and thoughts with you, my readers. The feedback and comments from many of you while responding to a particular thought or idea which my columns may have evoked is valued, and you all have a special place in our family’s life. We thank you for your friendship and for your contributions towards making your corner of the world a more livable place.
As the season suggests, we are Christmas people, full of joy and alive with hope whose symbols are a baby and a star. We give daily thanks for the love and support we’ve experienced and for the gift of God’s love. May each of you experience the joy of Christmas and the promise inherent in the upcoming New Year. From our home to yours; much love.