Blog: tracker's place

Blog City Prompt 12/20/23

Wednesday
December 20, 2023
Noon



Prompt: "Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality." Write about this in your Blog entry today.

I wonder what life would be like if Christmas was celebrated in January. The cheer, comradery, and hospitality would set off the new year in a good place. Instead, we wait all year for the event. Many people I talk to see their families and extended families twice a year, ie: Thanksgiving and Christmas. The family reunions are filled with laughter and always good food. Why does this happen so seldom?

Physical distance is a huge reason. We didn't grow up and live in the same town with our relatives nearby. In my parents' generation, it was expected that grandparents would live out their days in an offspring's home. That habit is being revived as families combine resources and live together for financial reasons. I live with my daughter, son-in-law, and two of my grandchildren. It is a wonderful arrangement. I benefit most in that i don't pay separately for anything except my cell phone. It is a great financial arrangement for my daughter's household as well. I am safe and secure with the knowledge if anything goes wrong if I fall or something, there is always someone near who can help right away.

The other facet of holiday hospitality is demonstrated in the workplace. Parties and u like Skkecret Santa, midnight mass, and anticipation of Santa's arrival are on the holiday agenda. People, in my experience, are more open and caring at this time of year. Maybe it helps sweep out any bad karma from the past year. Or, maybe it is through gift-giving that broken relationships are mended.

Whatever the occasion during Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, or whatever the celebration, I am mighty happy to participate in every minute of it. Memories are the key to a happy senior year's life.