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Most of the Christmas cards have been mailed, and we've included a letter in the card again this year, expressing some of our thoughts on the season. For those of you who aren't on our mailing list, here's the content of the letter. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!
Dearest friends and family,
The days are growing shorter and colder, signaling the arrival of the end of another year. As always, we find ourselves busy, rushing between activities and preparing to celebrate the holidays. But in the midst of all this bustle, we try to find time to reflect on the reasons for the festivities.
With yet another film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol in theaters, we'd like to share some thoughts about the message in this well known story. Rare is the person who doesn't know the story of Scrooge and his encounter with the Christmas ghosts. The story ends with Scrooge's conversion from selfish miser to generous participant in the holiday. In his conversion, Scrooge exemplifies the Season's message of love. This love is not passive, a mere expression of goodwill, but rather, it is a call to action. Christmas challenges us to demonstrate our love for each other by our actions.
We meet this challenge by trying to always act from compassion and charity. It is so easy to become wrapped up in our own lives, concerned with our own needs and concerns. But the holidays provide us with a chance to look beyond ourselves, to the needs of others. Our response can be as simple as running an errand for a neighbor, sending a heartfelt expression of sympathy to a friend during a time of loss, or setting a good example for our children. Each small gesture of goodwill demonstrates our love to others and helps to spread the holiday message.
It is easy to express our love for members of our family and for close friends. But demonstrating our love for strangers is more difficult. This is another lesson of Scrooge's conversion...Scrooge doesn't limit his new-found generosity to those closest to him. He also shares his plenty with others, as well. This challenge, to respond to the needs of strangers with charity and compassion, is both a difficult and a rewarding part of the message of the season.
We often hear people bemoaning the loss of a sense of community these days. In reaching out to others in need, we help build a sense of community. Each such demonstration of our love links us to others, joining us together. By following the example of the new Scrooge, we can make the world a better, friendlier place, one act of kindness at a time.
As you celebrate this holiday season, try to remember the lessons of Scrooge's conversion. Don't wait for a visit from the Christmas ghosts to learn the meaning of the holidays.
Dearest friends and family,
The days are growing shorter and colder, signaling the arrival of the end of another year. As always, we find ourselves busy, rushing between activities and preparing to celebrate the holidays. But in the midst of all this bustle, we try to find time to reflect on the reasons for the festivities.
With yet another film adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol in theaters, we'd like to share some thoughts about the message in this well known story. Rare is the person who doesn't know the story of Scrooge and his encounter with the Christmas ghosts. The story ends with Scrooge's conversion from selfish miser to generous participant in the holiday. In his conversion, Scrooge exemplifies the Season's message of love. This love is not passive, a mere expression of goodwill, but rather, it is a call to action. Christmas challenges us to demonstrate our love for each other by our actions.
We meet this challenge by trying to always act from compassion and charity. It is so easy to become wrapped up in our own lives, concerned with our own needs and concerns. But the holidays provide us with a chance to look beyond ourselves, to the needs of others. Our response can be as simple as running an errand for a neighbor, sending a heartfelt expression of sympathy to a friend during a time of loss, or setting a good example for our children. Each small gesture of goodwill demonstrates our love to others and helps to spread the holiday message.
It is easy to express our love for members of our family and for close friends. But demonstrating our love for strangers is more difficult. This is another lesson of Scrooge's conversion...Scrooge doesn't limit his new-found generosity to those closest to him. He also shares his plenty with others, as well. This challenge, to respond to the needs of strangers with charity and compassion, is both a difficult and a rewarding part of the message of the season.
We often hear people bemoaning the loss of a sense of community these days. In reaching out to others in need, we help build a sense of community. Each such demonstration of our love links us to others, joining us together. By following the example of the new Scrooge, we can make the world a better, friendlier place, one act of kindness at a time.
As you celebrate this holiday season, try to remember the lessons of Scrooge's conversion. Don't wait for a visit from the Christmas ghosts to learn the meaning of the holidays.
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