Merry Christmas

Peace to you and your family this Christmas and Holiday season.

 

Reindeer pause

Buchans, Newfoundland is located in the central part of the island, surrounded by wilderness and abundant wildlife. On the way to and from Buchans these days, you may have to pause and share the road with reindeer, known as caribou in North America. 

 

The animals are migrating this time of year to winter grazing areas with plenty of caribou moss, their winter food source.

 

When we lived in Buchans, driving over the highway was often a wildlife adventure. We saw many animals over the years, black bears, foxes, lynx, rabbits, moose and caribou. One night, we encountered hundreds of frogs crossing one section of the highway. Now, the caribou are numerous, more dangerous to motorists, but beautiful in their natural habitat.

 

I suspect they are in training, in case Santa needs them on Christmas Eve. His own reindeer may be tired and need a rest as they travel around Newfoundland. Even the caribou in Newfoundland are eager to help those who come from away.

 

Photos by Reneé Michelle Ball. Thank you, Reneé.

Reflection

The national news showed the events of the day. People at a Christmas market in Germany were attacked by men driving a transport truck which mowed them down. A Russian diplomat was killed in Turkey. A vacationing Newfoundlander was one of ten killed in Jordan. People, including children, in eastern Aleppo, waited for transport out of the death and destruction which surround them. Acts of terrorism fill the news. There is no peace on earth this Christmas.

For several years during my teaching career, I sang with an ecumenical choir in Buchans, Newfoundland. We sang a variety of music, but one of the songs which spoke to me was Let There Be Peace on Earth. 

The Harlem Boys' Choir sings Let There Be Peace on Earth

"Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me." So true! How can we expect peace on earth if each of us doesn't do our part to create peace in our own lives? Why do we allow petty differences and misunderstandings to separate us from people? Why do family members not speak to each other, or neighbours not even acknowledge each other?

Pride can be so destructive. It can keep us from saying, "I apologize," or "I am sorry." It can also keep us from accepting an apology and cause us to harbour resentment and anger, which are detrimental to peace and are self destructive. They keep us from being our best selves.

We can't expect peace this Christmas or any Christmas until it begins in our own lives. A movement towards peace starts with each individual who makes a commitment and lives that commitment in her relations with others, family, friends and even those she doesn't know. It begins with an openness to others. 

I learned of openness from my father. He had many reasons to be angry and resentful towards his father. Instead, Dad worked at developing a relationship with him, and his father wanted and worked on that relationship too. We all benefitted from this reconciliation, knowing our grandfather and learning how to let go of resentment and past hurts.

Sometimes, the hurts are too great and the relationship cannot be restored but forgiving and letting go means you can move ahead, free and unencumbered. Lacking the anger and resentment, you can be open again, not needing to protect yourself any more.

 

I am a work in progress at peace. I know what I have to do but I haven't been successful all the time. Let it begin with me indeed. 

She's back

We are dog sitting for the next month. Georgie, the golden retriever, is visiting again as her family heads out of the province. We take the opportunity to groom her when she arrives. Georgie has her winter coat on these days and it is thick. When we bathe her this time of year, her skin barely gets wet.

 

Georgie is almost seven years old now and after all these years, she can proudly claim she has us trained. This is a dog which is out twice a day at her home. Here, we are trained to allow her out any time she goes to a door and waits.

She is lean and trim and at her home, she only eats kibble. Here, she enjoys the peanut butter jars we are trained to save for her before we recycle them. She likes a spoonful or two of the nutty treat left in the jar which she licks out with her long tongue, as she holds the jar with her paws.

 

Walking every day is one of her favourite things; she likes to go after breakfast and we oblige, of course. Yesterday, as we headed out, Georgie barked, something which she does not do when she is on the lead. However, as we discovered, she does bark at foxes, as one crossed the road a short distance from the house. The fox was unperturbed by Georgie's vicious sounding hello.

 

These are the early days of Georgie's latest visit and we have lots of patience for her antics. However, by the time her family comes home, we will be more than ready to have our lives back to normal. And besides, I like to stretch out on the couch!

 

The freeze

It doesn't take long. A few days of freezing temperatures and the harbour at Summerside, Prince Edward Island begins to freeze over for another winter. It won't be long now!

 

Remember when?

She stood with the primary choir and sang every word of the first song. The second one had actions which she did with enthusiasm. As I watched my granddaughter, Sylvie, sing with the other children, it brought me back to the days when I was a child, singing with the many choirs I enjoyed over the years.

 

A choir is a great experience for a child. You learn your part and listen to the others around you as you raise your voice with theirs. You exercise your memory as you learn the music and the words. You follow the director as she helps you explore the dynamics of the music. The discipline of the practice and the proper behaviour as you stand and sing are valuable lessons. Sylvie knew what she could and couldn't do as she stood on stage with the other children. Five is not too young to learn appropriate behavior for this setting.

 

Times have changed however. The music at this concert was secular Christmas music. When I was young, going to a Catholic school, the music was religious carols. In addition, today the teacher puts the music on Youtube for the children to watch and sing along, repeating as often as they need for mastery of the music and lyrics. I was accustomed to hours of repetition with the music teacher directing. Technology has changed most aspects of our lives, including choir training.

What hasn't changed however, is the dedication of wonderful choir directors and the way children enjoy singing together and performing for others. Technology won't change what is really important.

The facts

We prepare for Christmas as we have every year, but our North American part of the world has changed. In the recent past, we searched for the truth. Just give us the facts, please. We relied on the facts; we could handle the truth. 

Not so any more. Lies fill the television, internet and social media. Prominent people will outright lie and say whatever suits them, deny comments they've previously made and ignore questions about them. "News" stories which are entirely fabricated, are believed by millions of people. Factual information is inconsequential.

Years ago, I worked in a high school when a famous man denied having sexual relations with a certain woman. When the truth came out, I noticed a shift in attitude about sexual behaviour among those young people and not for the better. If he does it...

Today, many parents, as always, endeavour to teach their children to speak the truth. How do we teach them now when a part of society will not reinforce those beliefs and certain leaders have a nodding acquaintance with the truth, if that? What value does truth have any more when all around us lies are passed as fact, news is fabricated, and many people are all right with it?

As we search for a way through the next number of years, I expect another shift in attitude as our youth deal with the ways of the new world order as well. This latest development will require much guidance and discernment for all of us.

 

God bless us everyone.