It is Christmas Eve and many of you are, no doubt, finishing up your preparations for Christmas...or still rushing to try and get things done. Christmastime, and indeed the entire holiday season, is a hectic time. My life has slowed down considerably, but I can remember Christmases past where running around trying to get things done was an accepted part of the season. And I know my level of hectic was nowhere near the level of many others. Still, holiday hustle and bustle was part and parcel of this time of the year.
It is far too easy, regardless of the time of year, to be in such a rush, as to be overwhelmed, that you miss some things. Rushing out of the house without your coffee, rushing to finish some task at work that you forget a step, and rushing to do too much that you forget to take care of yourself are just a few examples.
At Christmas, where the lights are bright and our hearts are light -- well, hopefully, they're light -- we tend to forget those far less fortunate than us. Part of it is many of us consciously choose to ignore those other folks. It's along the lines of the old saying "out of sight, out of mind", or even the chorus to the 1985 Phil Collins song, Long, Long Way to Go, making reference to stories on the news about those struggling:
People less fortunate than us have been, are, and likely will always be there. After all, not everyone can flourish, or cover all their bases, or even just barely make ends meet. Not everyone has a roof over their head. Not everyone is healthy. Not everyone lives their life free of war. No everyone is only minimally affected by the greed of others.
And so, on this Christmas Eve, I am presenting four songs that speak to those issues by lifting up awareness of those persons. If Christmastime means an opening of hearts, surely we can open our hearts to those less fortunate than us.
The first two songs are by an artist you may or may not have heard before. I just came across these two videos last week. They are by Canadian folk singer Martin Kerr. This first one is done to the tune of Away In a Manger.
This next one is done to the tune of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.
These next two are far more well-known songs. First, a song that was released in 1967 and gained several-years-later popularity again last year. This is Stevie Wonder's Someday at Christmas.
Finally, John Lennon's So This Is Christmas (War Is Over).
As you celebrate the holidays, keep those in far worse situations than you in mind and in your heart. Be thankful for what you have, yes, but remember those less fortunate. And if you can do something to help, anything, do it.
And for those of you who have those things that others don't, but you still feel empty -- maybe loss of loved one(s), or a feeling of being alone -- I hope you find a way to feel connected, to feel full emotionally, and to feel loved. It may not come in a way you imagined or thought likely, but when it comes, welcome it.
Terry
No comments:
Post a Comment