It’s that time of year again. Last month we celebrated Thanksgiving here in the US. The name ‘Thanksgiving’ says it all. For those of us fortunate enough, it was a day of feasting with friends and loved ones, of giving thanks for the things we have, even if it might appear meager to some. Free meals are available to those less fortunate, so everyone can have the traditional turkey and gravy with mashed potatoes. Old recipes are broken out, friends and loved ones are invited over, cranberry sauce, green bean casseroles, mashed and/or sweet potatoes, gravy, and a plump golden turkey adorn the table. The fine table settings are used, and wine glasses are tipped in toast to happiness and prosperity and in thanks for the people and things that we appreciate in our lives. A dessert of mincemeat or pumpkin pie usually follows after some delay to let the feast settle a bit in our overstuffed stomachs.

December is a time for other celebrations. Whether you be Christian, Jewish or Buddhist, you will find a reason to honor your faith and your God. More people attend their house of worship during these celebrations than any other time of the year. A Jolly Old Elf distibutes gifts to children around the world, somehow squeezing his immense girth down that not so wide chimney. We lick stamps and send best greetings and good wishes and our hope for a prosperous forthcoming year to family, friends, and people around the world. We give gifts and donations to each other and the needy, take a break from work, and frequently visit those we love to celebrate the holiday.

This activity continues into January when we celebrate the New Year, the Epiphany, Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Holocaust Memorial Day, and the day the Eskimo Pie was patented (Jan 24th). We consider the upcoming year, and make resolutions that we often break, but we try because we all know we can do better and we make an effort to improve ourselves. We reflect on how we want to make this upcoming year to be different and better.

Is it a coincidence that these holidays are all strung together? If so, it’s a happy sequence of rejoicing. We give thanks for what we have in one month, celebrate our faith the next, and the following month we reflect and resolve to improve our lives. That’s a pretty good list of things to do; I couldn’t have planned it better myself

Seasons Greetings and my Best Wishes to you all