~ Connecting ~
The Christmas and New Year Holidays are right around the corner. There will be celebrations, parties, gifts and the like, many of us having a Merry time as we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus, and the coming of a new year (and decade). For others, however, the holidays can often be a difficult time. For those who may have recently lost a loved one, a spouse, lover, best friend etc, the holidays can often be a reminder of what was lost and lead to a state of emotional despair. Take that into account and the fact that in tough economic times, it is often tough for those who are struggling financially to see the joy in an otherwise festive occasion. Yes, it is a cliche, but in many ways we have truly forgotten the reason for the season. Gifts and all that good stuff are nice, but people should not be led to feel guilty when they cannot afford lavish Christmas shopping or the latest item that "must" be under the tree.
Ultimately, Christmas should be an avid reminder of the only real debt that we owe to one another, and that is love. We love as we connect with others, emotionally and spiritually. Recent surveys have shown that in an increasingly individualistic society, loneliness is becoming a rampant problem, especially here in America. True, we may have more ways than ever to connect with our friends and loved ones - e-mail, cell phone, text, Skype etc - and there is an endless display of technological devices that we can use to stay connected from IPhones to Blackberrys, not to mention the numerous social networking sites through which we can meet new "friends". But just because you supposedly have hundreds of friends on Facebook, does not mean that those people really know you. Many of us have lots of acquaintances, but in times or turmoil, you get to find out who your true friends are. Can you really count on at least one of them in your darkest hour? Can you say that you have at least one person in your life that knows you well enough that you feel comfortable sharing your deepest fears and worries with? We all need a safe place where we can be ourselves without the false pretenses and masks that we often wear just to make that money and survive in an ever competitive global economy.
It is my hope and prayer that as we celebrate this Christmas, whether in grand fashion or in low key style, we may all find ways to really connect with others, especially those that mean a lot to us...
Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous 2010!!
Stephen Oladotun Akinduro
The Christmas and New Year Holidays are right around the corner. There will be celebrations, parties, gifts and the like, many of us having a Merry time as we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus, and the coming of a new year (and decade). For others, however, the holidays can often be a difficult time. For those who may have recently lost a loved one, a spouse, lover, best friend etc, the holidays can often be a reminder of what was lost and lead to a state of emotional despair. Take that into account and the fact that in tough economic times, it is often tough for those who are struggling financially to see the joy in an otherwise festive occasion. Yes, it is a cliche, but in many ways we have truly forgotten the reason for the season. Gifts and all that good stuff are nice, but people should not be led to feel guilty when they cannot afford lavish Christmas shopping or the latest item that "must" be under the tree.
Ultimately, Christmas should be an avid reminder of the only real debt that we owe to one another, and that is love. We love as we connect with others, emotionally and spiritually. Recent surveys have shown that in an increasingly individualistic society, loneliness is becoming a rampant problem, especially here in America. True, we may have more ways than ever to connect with our friends and loved ones - e-mail, cell phone, text, Skype etc - and there is an endless display of technological devices that we can use to stay connected from IPhones to Blackberrys, not to mention the numerous social networking sites through which we can meet new "friends". But just because you supposedly have hundreds of friends on Facebook, does not mean that those people really know you. Many of us have lots of acquaintances, but in times or turmoil, you get to find out who your true friends are. Can you really count on at least one of them in your darkest hour? Can you say that you have at least one person in your life that knows you well enough that you feel comfortable sharing your deepest fears and worries with? We all need a safe place where we can be ourselves without the false pretenses and masks that we often wear just to make that money and survive in an ever competitive global economy.
It is my hope and prayer that as we celebrate this Christmas, whether in grand fashion or in low key style, we may all find ways to really connect with others, especially those that mean a lot to us...
Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous 2010!!
Stephen Oladotun Akinduro
posted by Stephen O. | 12:52 PM
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