A reader (nonpartisan) question:
Dear Muffy,
May I ask the readership a question please.
As we approach 2025, bearing in mind the troubled and frankly frightening times in which we all now live, what are the readers hopes and wishes (and resolutions) for the coming new year.
Personally, on a lighter note, my resolution, having spent several days clearing out my closets and amassing quite a pile to take to the charity (thrift?) store, I'm going to do my best not to immediately fill the space in the New Year sales!
On a more serious note I hope to see an end to innocent civilians (and especially children) being killed, wounded and traumatised in the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. I hope this isn't too political for this blog, if it is I humbly apologise.
Best wishes
Great question and topic....This time of year is perfect for "resetting" and prioritizing for the upcoming year. Cleaning out closets and giving to the Salvation Army and other charities is always a good idea. However, let's not forget what's the most important--our families, neighbors and those that benefit the most from what we can give to them to enrich their lives. I would be remiss if I didn't mention other areas of importance--our spiritual and mental lives. These seem to get lost in the shuffle this time of year. Spiritual health is always of vital importance as it carries us through any challenge the new year might bring your way. Clear your mind by forgiving others and enter the new year with a clear conscience and a clean slate.
ReplyDeleteAs far as wars and other conflict--they've always been here and will continue to be here as long as sin and evil exist in our world. They'll always be wars and rumors of wars.
Forgiving and assisting those in your sphere of influence are always important--be in the holiday season or any other time of the year.
God Bless the readers and bloggers on this website. It always brightens my day to see what others are thinking and reading...
Keep loved ones close...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Hear hear
DeleteProtecting children should never be political.
ReplyDeleteChildren are not geopolitics. Children are humanity, and protecting them is basic decency.
DeleteWe all need to be more fully present to each others, even those we might have viewed as not approaching important issues as we would. Listen more. Turn conversations into relationships.
ReplyDeleteDo not accept the inevitability of things that are morally wrong. Look for opportunities to curtail them or at least to support measures to address them.
Be generous when you can.
Make your future thankful, responsible, kind, supportive, open, simple, generous, and tightly knit with your family, biological and chosen, and your community.
I'll throw my hat in with previous comments and add an additional desire for daily calm and tranquility with less ongoing drama and related ugliness in what passes for the daily sociopolitical discourse. A futile wish, at present, but something I long for desperately.
ReplyDeleteKind Advent Regards,
Heinz-Ulrich
Thank you for this. As I reflect on most of the world's tribulations from a safe (great?) distance, I wonder if we each toss our pebble of good deeds into the sea, what a great tidal wave of kindness and caring it could become. May it be so. The very best of the season and blessings to all my SWNE fellow travelers.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful comment. May I echo every word
ReplyDeleteYour comments are valuable. We should never be afraid to speak the truth. Let us focus on spreading joy and not just during the holidays!
ReplyDeleteSpend more time appreciating people around you - family, friends, community. Do good things for others. Donate blood. Volunteer time for needy people. Take longer walks with your dog. Do something to make yourself a healthier, happier human being. In short - resolve to do something where your words and deeds can actually make it happen. A new year's resolution is a promise or commitment to do something different next year.
ReplyDeleteResolving to end world conflicts you already oppose and personally can't affect seems like wishful thinking, which rarely accomplishes much.
Good question and responses. I would add people should be kind and cordial all year. For most they only act this way during the holidays and go back to their ways after the holidays are over. That is why I am not a fan of the holidays. I am treated different during the holidays than I am treated the rest of the year. My hope is for people to be pleasant all year and not just during the holidays.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post and the comments. I often think of, and take strength from, Paul's letter to the Galatians: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." We can't hate our way out of hate or disfunction our way out of disfunction. But we can seek to be loving and joyful in all things.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteAlas, there will be no end to war in the Middle East. As long as there are eyewitnesses alive, they will tell what they saw to their grandchildren. “This is what they did to my brother.” We fast forward at least three generations. Maybe 75 years from now conflict will end, if nothing happens in the meantime. We all know this is not possible. The forces of evil are very strong. Like the poor, they will always be with us. It is up to those who want change to, as Anon Dec 9 8:22 notes, “seek to be loving and joyful in all things.” That thought comes from the heart. It is a start. Be generous with your wealth. You are at the top of the pyramid if you read this blog. Reach down. Give a ten spot to the first person you see today who you think really needs it. Do that every day. Forsake the latte. Give to those who do the day to day relief work, at home and abroad. Be generous in spirit. Listen to those with whom we disagree. Seek common ground. Break out of our red and blue bubbles. For each of us that is often more difficult than writing a check.
ReplyDeletePerhaps consider the phrase “ Charity begins at home”. Until we can learn to love our spouse and our children and give to them and have peace in our homes Peace in the world seems impossible.. To love your neighbor as yourself no matter their beliefs.
DeleteThe reader asks for hopes and wishes and (most of) what I get is hectoring about what I can do better. Not a big fan.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately reality sometimes stings.
DeleteMaybe it wasn’t written in a positive way, but the idea that peace and love begin in the family is extremely promising. That is within our reach. Perhaps that love and kindness can spread throughout the world. I find great hope in that.
DeleteWell, maybe the wisest thing to do is cultivate your own garden..and .just make sure that your garden will feed lots of people.
ReplyDeleteKumbaya my Lord .... Kumbaya !!! I am seeing a lot of virtue signalling, shoulds and oughts in this thread. Anyway, sending all the preppies a lovely and stylish yule.
ReplyDeleteVery nice comment for this time of year. I’d add the hostages (many are Americans) being held in Gaza to the list of innocents. And the congenial comments on this post are always heartening. Peace on earth and goodwill to men, the theme of the season. And reading about Jack Donnelly khakis, Mercer & Sons shirts, and apple pie for breakfast always are a few of my favorite things. Although, the wife just reminded me that is not a Christmas song. JDV
ReplyDeleteHey gang, I suspect a lot of us are in this "headspace" (as they call it these days). The best advice I've been given is that this period will be over one day, but how we acted while this was going on will be there forever. Standards, moral and aesthetic (if there is a difference), will return one day. We can be among the non-debased. And also very warm in nice sweaters and pants that fit.
ReplyDeleteI think many of us have our concerns right now and unfortunately, not a whole lot we can do about much of it as we have so many unknowns yet to play out. So, in the meantime, my intent is to get my personal ducks in a row--my home, my finances, etc. To be even more intentional than I already am about the things I can control. I've been thinking a lot lately about my late parents--my mom was 9 and my dad a teen when the depression hit, they were newlyweds when the US joined WW2. I can only imagine what must have been going through their minds at that time, but I also remember the lessons/wisdom that they along with my older relatives taught me after having lived through that period.
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