Thursday, December 27, 2012
Reflection – Very loosely inspired by this week’s column, Christmas and New Years: Best of the Year, 12 Reflections
Tag Archives: reflections
Christmas & New Year’s: 12 Reflections
I love Andy William’s song It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and feel sad at his passing this year. There’s such an irony in how we approach The Holidays or, more specifically, how we are expected to approach them. There’s all the music – EVERYWHERE. There’s all the decorations and there’s all the expectations. Yet, many families truly struggle with Christmas and New Year’s (as well as Thanksgiving).
It’s a Wonderful World — Really!
Last year, after my honeymoon to Africa, I struggled a bit to find the right material from that extraordinary experience to write about in my column. Happily, I came through with two of my personal favorite columns: each called “African Reflections” (Parts One and Two). This year, as I’m finishing up our trip to the Canary Islands, Morocco, and Portugal, I realized that I have more than enough material for a column. Consequently, I will share some highlights and also encourage you to visit my “A Dad’s Point-of-View” Facebook page where I’ve posted many photos from the trip.
Many things struck me on this trip, but the children affected me the most. The more I travel, the more exotic the places, and the more I realize how similar we all are. And the kids strikingly make that point as their faces so often reflect the joys of life–in spite of whatever hardships their countries may be suffering. To me, that is the hope for the future when I otherwise occasionally get discouraged by world events.
Don’t Take It Personally
I know my column is from my personal perspective, and often about my personal life. Yet I feel this topic is more confessional than many others and affects me too often. I take things too personally. Having this deficiency is truly toxic when you are raising kids or beginning a new marriage, both of which define my present state of affairs.
Let’s give some examples and see how many of you relate to them. Easy ones are when ShortRib (my wife) isn’t smiling, isn’t talking much, or doesn’t respond quickly to an e-mail, or text of mine. I always assume that it’s my fault or something I’ve done.
