Rosy Glow – Christmas 2020

By

Andrew DeMarco

In this crazy year of 2020, with Thanksgiving behind us we all can look forward to the Christmas Holiday season and hopefully a better new year in 2021, or can we? Will we be able to celebrate with all our loved ones and family and friends as we usually do or will the threat of more lockdowns due to the Corona virus prevent us from celebrating as we have become accustomed to? Regardless, we all will find a way to celebrate and make the most of it.

One thing I have noticed is that one question comes up quite a lot this time of year and depending on your age the answers vary greatly. That question is, “What do you want for Christmas?”  When I was a child my imagination would run wild and my wants were many but somehow my parents always found a way to get me at least some of the many things that I wanted. At that time, I don’t remember if I realized how grateful I should have been, but I do remember I was happy with what I got. Over time I started to want less because I probably had more. I am sure and hope the same is true with kids today. As expected, as I have gotten older, the answer to that question has changed, the answer is usually, “I don’t know, I really don’t need anything,”

After giving it some thought I really don’t need anything. I have a great family and good friends; my health is good although as we get older we all begin to have some health issues and probably would ask for better health. I have found that I do not want or need material things as much as I used to and my wants have become more hopes and desires.  The things I would like is to see my family (cousins and their children and grandchildren) a bit more often but I understand that as the family becomes more extended that becomes more difficult. My friends have become like family and I do know that all of them including my family are always there when and if I need them. I do hope that it stays that way. Finally, the one thing I am sure we all probably wish for is health and happiness.   

My Uncle Bob always says that as he has gotten older his needs are fewer and his wants are less and I can see this happening to me. He also reminded me of the old saying “The less you want the more you have and the more you want the less you have” and I fit into the former.

Then it hit me. This Christmas in spite of all the insanity going on around us, I will have received the best Christmas gift that anyone could imagine. Besides the gift of family and friends, I will have the gift of nothing. That’s right nothing. Just the simple gift of being free from want or need. Although we are not by any means wealthy, this sense of not needing much has led me and my wife to a more important gift. The gift of giving. This year in addition to donating to our usual charities, my wife and I have made a few additional ones. One was to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the other was simple, we donated a few turkeys to a local soup kitchen with the hope that someone will enjoy a Christmas Dinner. These contributions were not much but it put us into the Christmas spirit which this year will be a bit more difficult to do. So here is to wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and may you all be blessed with the gift of not needing or wanting and the realization of how much we all really have. I am sure this will give you the feeling that Cousin Bob would call that…..Rosy Glow.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Happy and Healthy New Year!