Wishing you all a happy Sunday! The third in Advent.
With only 2 weeks to go before Christmas Day, there must be a reason why my cell phone starts to die on me (battery problems?) and my computer practically slows down to a halt (old age?). And why Woolly Bear, who rarely bothers me while I'm typing, suddenly decides she wants to sit on the keyboard and nothing is going to stop her.
So, instead of peacefully writing letters and Christmas cards to all those people I've ignored for almost 12 months, I'm frantically trying to save addresses, phone numbers and anything else that may not be up there in the clouds when all my technical equipment decides to give up the ghost. I've been forced to send emergency telephone numbers to friends in case I'm needed - perhaps to feed ferals outside my normal schedule. Isn't life exciting? But, I know it wasn't always that complicated.
Looking back (almost 60 years) to the Saturdays before Christmas in the London suburbs, when the streets, markets and shops were so crowded, one could hardly move. But there was no pushing or shoving. I cannot say that people were particularly happy but they were peaceful and very-well mannered. When we children had purchased all the necessities my mother had put on our shopping list, we would go into Woolworth's and choose one small decoration to put on the Christmas tree: just one item - not a pack of 6. The Salvation Army would be singing Christmas carols on some street corner and there would be collecting boxes for various charities: Guide Dogs for the Blind and Dr Barnado's Children's Homes are two I can well remember donating our last pennies to before catching an overcrowded bus to take us home. We had no expectations of expensive presents - one "big" present - an item of clothing for the older children and a toy for the smaller ones. The presents we gave each other were either handmade or bought with money earned doing neighbours' shopping or other chores. There were toothbrushes, combs and hairbrushes hanging as presents on the tree - much to our disgust!
I know that life is better today - we have more money, more choices and better health. But, I now hate shopping before Christmas. The crowds are smaller but hectic, loud and pushing. Young children looking at the toys are no longer wide-eyed with excitement - they've seen it all before on television. They have been given so much choice they are overwhelmed - how can they make a decision when really they like everything they see? The loud music coming from every corner, the various "aromas" from food stalls, heavily perfumed females, and sweaty young men are enough to send me back to my car and escape in the long traffic jam back to my own 4 walls and .... the Internet!
At a local supermarket here in a small town in Germany, there is a large Christmas tree with postcards written by (or on behalf of) children in a local home. It is heartbreaking to see what these children are asking for at Christmas. An 18-year-old boy wants a particular cookbook, and a thirteen-year-old girl is asking for a game more suitable to an 8 year-old. My daughter and I picked up these two particular requests and are making up 2 Christmas parcels - not just with the requested items. No sweets are allowed in the parcels but there are plenty of items which could make these 2 young people feel a bit better.
Where is the "peace and goodwill" which used to be so important at Christmas time? I don't mean more religion at Christmas - just more humanity!
Is it just me getting old, or have we lost something very important in the Christmas rush and overkill?
). I've wanted to adopt a family myself, but haven't had the financial means to do so. Hopefully I can do that in the next few years especially because I love giving gifts (and making them too).
June really.
