Its Christmas morning hear at Laz mansion, and I sit in front of my laptop as I wait for my two little ones to get up. It seems they actually tired themselves out last night - not a mean fete for 7 and 9 year olds. But you see, their Grandma, whom they haven't seen for months, called last night and they had the most wonderful time talking with Granny for hours on end.
Needless to say, *some people* had to work even later last night to help Santa make his deliveries... By the time we were done, my wife was exhausted, and I was wired (probably the 10 cups of black coffee didn't help). So I forgoed the inviting comfort of our bed and instead decided to do a little channel and web surfing.
For many, this is considered the holiest time of the year - a time for prayer and thanksgiving - a time when our faith and spirit should keep us secure and calm.
But its a hard time to do that. Like our parents before us, we share a concern for our children and their future. What kind of world will they have when they grow up? Images of war and harbingers of a worldwide holocaust seep through everywhere we look - in the news, on the web. All the talking-heads have their own opinion of what will happen, when it will happen, and who will do it.
It all boils down to the same thing - the same quandaries man (and woman) have experienced since the first breath of life walked on this earth. Life is a very tenuous proposition: We never know when it will start, nor when it will end. All we can do is grab hold of it, treat it as precious as it really is, and spread that hope and care to all.
Images and thoughts dance through my head as I sit here quietly, drinking my 11th cup of coffee....
I think of my children and the lives they may have one day.
I think of my beloved wife, who truly means more to me than anything.
And I think of my loved ones, who have passed on from this mortal coil- who I believe that, somehow, still share in the faith and love that we all must share.
Merry Christmas to all, Happy Holidays, and may we, as a world, have peace on earth.
