All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth …
It’s a fun song, and a simple wish for Christmas. But as we grow up, Christmas wishes tend to grow more complicated.
We’re not talking about that new iPad, cashmere scarf or Ferrari we’re hoping to find under the Christmas tree. The wishes we are talking about may not even register in our conscious mind, and they’re both less expensive and harder to obtain than any luxury item.
We’re talking about the hope that is the background of this holiday season, not just for Christians, but all races, creeds and religions as collectively we celebrate the turning of the year and the start of the long crawl back to the warmth of summer.
Whether the wish is spoken or not, now is the time that we all hope the next year will be better than the last. Whether that hope is as grand as world peace or as simple as more food on the table, we all have our wishes for a better tomorrow, and this time of year tends to bring those wishes closer to the surface.
We may never have world peace or full bellies for everyone in the world, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth striving for. And like so many things, they all begin with us.
Mahatma Gandhi is often quoted as saying “you must be the change you seek in the world.”
Loving kindness, warm hearts and open minds, tolerance for others, these are the real gifts we need to share with each other, not only during this special season, but year round; these are the first steps on the path to creating a better tomorrow.
(Doesn’t mean we still wouldn’t like to see a Ferrari under our Christmas tree though)