were a young child.
Imagine a world with no war or the possibility of such, as exemplified by the current North Korean conflict. Imagine a planet where all religions manage to set their differences aside and live together in harmony. Try to visualize an America where the citizens are not so divided in ideology, and where they manage to tone down their harsh, critical rhetoric. And dare, if you will, to expand that script to the world as a whole. Picture a political arena where all parties place the welfare of the people ahead of their party's platforms. And project, if you can, an ambiance where families remain in peaceful collaboration, broken homes do not exist, and no one becomes mortally ill.
Imagine a world with no war or the possibility of such, as exemplified by the current North Korean conflict. Imagine a planet where all religions manage to set their differences aside and live together in harmony. Try to visualize an America where the citizens are not so divided in ideology, and where they manage to tone down their harsh, critical rhetoric. And dare, if you will, to expand that script to the world as a whole. Picture a political arena where all parties place the welfare of the people ahead of their party's platforms. And project, if you can, an ambiance where families remain in peaceful collaboration, broken homes do not exist, and no one becomes mortally ill.
Can
you envision a world without greed and where wealth and basic
commodities are shared more equally – and where human suffering
does not exist? Are you able to peer into a society where everyone
treats animals humanely and where we treat each other with even more
reverence? Is it possible to accept all those who seek refuge and try
to understand that many come from horrible situations that we may
have difficulty comprehending? Can any of us dream of a world where
terrorism, and all of its vile features, is only a page in a history
book?
And,
is there a remote possibility that the world's population might not
someday require medicating with dangerous drugs to cope with
depression, anxiety and pain? And might addiction become an issue of
the past?
“Impossible!”
you might say, or, “right, only in your dreams.”
… And
you would be 100 percent correct in that (adult) assumption.
In
a child's world, Christmas rarely includes anything remotely
affiliated with the negative issues of the world today.
Children are usually innocent in their reasoning and oblivious to the
world as adults perceive it.
To
dream the impossible dream
This Christmas,
let’s all make an attempt to recall a time when we were young. “It
is easy if you try.” Please make the effort to
visualize Christmas through
the eyes of your children or grandchildren. And if that situation has
no relevance, you might try to view the season through the eyes of a
niece, a nephew, or a child from your neighborhood.
Above, the author, age two and a half years with his older sister Dianne: Photo taken in the Beaver Run section of Beaverdale, PA on Christmas Morning, 1954
-------------------------------------------
Still,
others may choose to purposely get lost in their own
personal Christmas dreams
– not necessarily the dreams of an adult, but those of a child.
If
you can, for only a few moments, I will wager that
your Christmas will
become both magical and mystical again, just as it was when you were
young. And, even if it’s only a temporary respite, you might find
that you are feeling like a kid again - and what could possibly be
wrong with that?
Sadly,
in reality, there are children today who
struggle to persevere in atrocious conditions in many parts of the
world, including here in our own country; and for them, it's entirely
possible that they'll never have the Christmas memories
that most of us cherish. May I suggest not only keeping them in your
prayers, but please consider donating to a needy family, or
contributing to a reputable charity on their behalf. I guarantee
you'll feel even better this Christmas Season
if you do.
A
merry and blessed Christmas to you all.
