I NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS NOW

Tis the season to be jolly. The Countdown to Christmas has begun. The U.S. has had Thanksgiving as have we more than a month earlier. We have been offered everything under the sun on Black Friday and beyond in sales and now we can see as many as 3 Christmas movies a night.

I used to indulge occasionally in these films. I suppose they are the film version of Chick-Lit but until this year it didn't occur to me to watch more than one from time to time. This year however, is different.

I think perhaps that this year, 'I need a little Christmas'. I say this because I am actually seeking out these films and particularly enjoy seeing whole towns in the film being decked out with Christmas trees of every sort and tree lighting ceremonies opening the festivities. 

Most of the films, including at least 30 new ones debuting this year feature a lot of hard working young men and women rediscovering the joys of friends and families meeting and usually also reconnecting with the Christmas spirit that they once enjoyed in their lives. 

It is almost like something in me needs to reconnect with my own Christmas spirit sooner rather than later. I know this year it seems more important than ever.

I know only too well that I will miss the two people that died, or as these films usually say, 'passed', this year. There is no doubt that losing another brother who courageously endured great and constant pain of long duration, can't help but remind me of the many happy memories of decades together. The friend that I made after my mother died, 24 years ago, united me with my mother for these many years because we cherished and remembered her together. 

I pause again to realize that one of my favourite aunts has now been gone for a year. I remember her especially because she died on her 95th birthday a year ago while at her desk, doing what she always did, writing thank you notes to the many people who cared for her.

It is, however, more than the passages that the year has brought that make this year almost require a conscious attempt to resuscitate and somehow revive the joyous child that once innocently and unreservedly enjoyed this happier than usual time of year. 

It is also the 'State of the World'. This is actually chronicled in a paperback book of statistics and such that comes out once a year. Suffice it to say, this year's must be a doozy with all of the anger out there coming at us from all sides. 

Most of us can see that even friends and family are polarized and at odds with those who disagree with their responses to the daily diet of outrage coming at us from what passes as news today. There don't seem to be any 'neutral' places out there anymore.

Even when you determine to consciously avoid this today there seems no escaping that even your family and friends have been effected by the polarizing opinions of almost everyone you meet throughout your day.

Perhaps it is self defence on my part; perhaps hiding my head in the sand is my reaction. All I know is that, this year, I most definitely need a little Christmas, and I need it now.

FACE OFF

At three o'clock in the morning most of us are alone with ourselves. The self we see is not the person everyone else sees, but the person we actually are. No doubt there are actually some people who actually are the same person that others see, but I suspect, that the person we actually are probably is a bit different than the one which other people see. 

Most nights we are sleeping and enjoying a much needed and possibly also a well deserved rest. Other times however, we are still awake and somehow able in this time of quiet to be alone with -face to face- with ourselves. 

Being alone is something each of us needs to get used to and become comfortable with. In the course of our lives there will be many times when we will be alone.

I think such times in life can provide us with a perfect time to relax. We have a great opportunity to to consider how we are and actually use some of this 'downtime' as a sort of personal 'stocktaking'.  

It might also be a good time to use the quiet. We can use such times to reflect upon who we really are. How far we feel we have come and where we are going. 

We might also think about what we really want to be doing. Are we seeing a happy, contented person in front of us, or someone who is having a hard time looking forward.

At three o'clock in the morning, these and many other questions seem to be immediately in front of us, free of the busyness and distractions that push them aside or out of mind as we move, often rapidly, throughout our normal busy days. 

By now, most of us have learned, and probably accepted, that there are things and people we cannot change. In view of this, most of us eventually realize that the one person we can change and work with is ourselves.

I suggest that, in fact, the closer we are able to come to self acceptance and trust in ourselves that we have and are making a life where what we need and want are close together, the more likely we can be happy with ourselves and our lives. 

Meanwhile most of us will probably wonder if life will always be a work in progress and accept that this is probably not a bad thing.

Possibly though a successful life may just be the one where that person reflected back at us as we look in the mirror at three a.m. is the one with can comfortably live with throughout the day.

JUST IN TIME TO CELEBRATE

You look around and another year has flown by. You can't help but wonder where the time went. We all do it. It is almost an obligation as a year is ending and we get ourselves ready to recognize a new one is almost upon us.

Meanwhile though you are amazed, but not amused, to realize another year has whizzed past you. Were it not for scribbled notes all over your calendar you might wonder where you have been.

In my case I am stunned to realize that I have not written anything here for easily more than a year and possibly even closer to 2 with 2020 almost in front 

of us.

How am I? How are you I wondered today as I erased over 430,000 old emails that had not only not been read, but which had also clogged up my writing blog

site.

After most of today working on cleanup, I am pretty happy to say that I belatedly am cleaning up my 2019 act, possibly Just in Time to Celebrate

and welcome the New Year.

Soon it will be Christmas and the Holiday Season for so many of us and we

will welcome our own and others celebrations with a lighter heart and perhaps, like me somewhat bemused that I let so much time go by before writing again.

More to come shortly...but for now...nice to be back in touch. 

Hope you are well, hope you, like me, are looking forward to greeting this lovely time of year with optimism and openness and good cheer.

Lets all move into December and give the rest of the month heading toward the New Year a good send off by catching up with our unfinished business and reacquainting ourselves with each other.

Meanwhile, time to roll up our sleeves and spring into action. Glad to be back in touch. I realize we may have missed each other.