Reflections – Another year almost gone, it’s that time of year when I look back over the previous 51 weeks and wonder whether I used them wisely.
Do you do that too? Sometimes I did and sometimes I did not, how about you?
It seems that every year I become more aware of how short our lives are and that I am now over three quarters the way through my expected
As I get older I find it is easier to become melancholic at this time of year. It seems I am not alone. Talking with an older friend who feels the same way, we thought it might be because we remember Christmases past through the eyes of the children we were all those years ago. A time when we were too young to understand the meaning of melancholy.
A time when Christmas was fun and exciting, even if there were few toys and life was much simpler. I don’t remember my parents getting as stressed about Christmas preparations as today’s parents. Perhaps because there were fewer shops, fewer media for advertising and fewer choices for spending money. No mobile phones, Internet or credit cards also helped restrict choices.
There’s a lot to be said for a more simple life.
It seems too that the real reason for celebrating Christmas has been lost under the tide of
As a committed capitalist and believer in the free enterprise system, I am not against advertising and promotion. Sales of products and services create jobs, jobs pay salaries and wages allowing people to have a purpose, improve their lives and raise families. With its faults, it is still the best system we have found so far
All this while churches are closing due to falling attendances yet there is a growing yearning for “meaning”. I wonder whether the pendulum has swung too far and we are out of balance?
I will be spending Christmas Day with my elder son and his family of 5 boys and his wife’s parents. Last Christmas, for the first time in 25 years, I spent Christmas Day with both my sons and their families. Two months ago, my younger son gave up his expensive struggle to become a permanent resident here in Canada and took his family back to Zimbabwe.
Time to stop the reflections and look ahead to 2019 and be grateful that I have a roof over my head, food on the table and the means to be with family to enjoy Christmas.
Let’s spare a thought for the millions who do not have those luxuries.
Thank you for following my blog and my best wishes to you for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
