SHARED THOUGHTS – 25.12.2015
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"Santa
Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year" – Victor Borge
A year is drawing to a
close. This is the month of Cakes & Candles, Snow & Songs, Carols
& Joy, Laughter & Love, It's December. Merry Christmas! This greeting
ring in our ears with the sound of jingle bells, conjuring an image of the
coming of Santa. It’s amazing how kids take up the fable of Santa and savour
the magic of Christmas night and the surprise gift under the Christmas tree.
I
remember our son Lalit always wanted a shoe with a zipper, when he was about 3.
“Santa” gave him a pair on a Christmas night and the magic of Santa was alive
in him for years… he truly believed Santa had come and placed the gift. It is
this magic of innocence coming alive which augments the aura of Christmas. This
aura lives on through generations .. and now we see our little grand-daughters
possessed with the spirit of Christmas. The tree lit up with all sorts of
embellishments light up the mood.
Christmas,
as with other religious celebrations – Eid, Diwali, Holi - breaks the barriers
of religion and is a day of universal joy, only because the message is of love,
joy, peace and universal brotherhood… while, it is also a time for
reflection.
"Christmas
is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection." – Winston Churchill
This being so, today’s news item that Somalia & Sultanate of Brunei have banned Christmas altogether, with dire consequences for any celebrations, comes as an unwelcome development, especially when the entire world is on a war footing to mellow down the hard-line image of any particular belief stream in the larger interest of world peace. This is a huge regressive step especially when the Sultanate was all along showing a moderate image…. until now.
“But animosity towards
Christmas festival is no new phenomenon. It was banned by the pilgrims when
they first arrived in the New World and by the puritans under Oliver Cromwell
in the UK. A number of socialist countries banned Christmas, some still do. And
while there are still ten countries where Christmas are forbidden from
celebrating the day, recent years have seen countries where restrictions have
been lifted, including China, Cuba and Albania, while in Iraq and Pakistan the
festival is being marked in both public and private despite violent radical
insurgencies and other challenges.“
Let us hope the spirit of
not only Christmas but all other religious festivals bring in a sense of
equanimity to humanity.
"Christmas
is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts." – Janice
Maeditere
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A message every adult
should read because children are
watching you and doing as you do, not as you say).
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I
WASN'T LOOKING
When
you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.
When
you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed thefirst painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.
birds in winter, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.
When
you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my
favourite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.
When
you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a favourite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have
to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good, and I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hold
the door open for others and heard 'thank you' and
'you're welcome', and I learned respect for others.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be..
When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.
-
When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and
wanted to say, Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn't looking.'
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
(thank you Krishnakumar)
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Have a safe &
peaceful week ahead. http://mohandas-sharedthoughts.blogspot.com/
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