YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE*

It is sweet to hear someone call someone else the Light of their Life. We know they are lucky and love the person they are talking about.

Whether this person is your friend, your partner, your lover or your parent, you are fortunate to have this powerful positive force in your life.

Much of the time when we are growing up is spent in teaching us that we need to learn to ‘stand on our own two feet’ and thereby become independent and self-sufficient.

We come to realize, as we grow up and mature that when we can share our days and our lives with someone else, especially if that person understands and accepts us, we are being given something priceless. We call these people ‘rara avis’ (literally a rare bird) because they are rare, unique and special.

Human nature however is such that we become used to even such beautiful people when they are among us for a while. This may lead us perhaps to neglect to, show and say, how happy we are to have them in our lives and how much they make our lives better.

When I write, I don’t think that I am exempting myself from neglecting to appreciate the many wonderful things and people in my life. Instead I think it is important for each of us, myself perhaps especially, to remember just how fortunate we are.

On my blog sites, people send me fascinating information and, of course, awe inspiring and very beautiful photographs of our wonderful world. Among the information is something I have just discovered is called the ‘STATE OF THE VILLAGE REPORT’**. On one page, an excerpt of which appears below, we are made aware statistically of just how fortunate we are.

Meanwhile, how many people, including me and you, actually pause, even occasionally to consider how lucky we are. I belatedly do occasionally but not often.

While I do not beat myself up that I am better off, through an accident of birth, than many people in other parts of the world; it is I think right and appropriate that I take a moment from time to time to be grateful for the great gift of life and the privileges I have been given in life because I was born into North American society and had the benefits which my ancestor’s left their native land forever, just before the First World War, to give us.

Later this week, I will a bit belatedly celebrate with my family, Ukrainian Christmas as part of a family party including a niece’s landmark birthday.

I will take a moment, hopefully with all of my family present that day, to thank my ancestors and all of those who celebrated Christmas on January 7th all those many generations before me and made it possible for the rest of us today to be celebrating in freedom and comfort. It is my privilege and my debt to thank them and those other beautiful people who Light Up My Life.

*YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE – song - In 1977 Pat Boone’s daughter Debbie had this hit song on her first album. It was written by Joe Brooks and recorded by Kasey Cisyk for the soundtrack and film of the same name. It ranks 7th on Billboard’s All Time Top 100.

**http://www.odt.org/Pictures/popvillage.pdf – STATE OF THE VILLAGE REPORT (important excerpt below)

“The following is also something to ponder...If you woke up this morning healthy ... you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the fear and loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture,or the pain of starvation ... you are better off than 500 million people in the world. If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ...you are more comfortable than 75% of the people in this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ...you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If you can read this, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all”.