Year after year, century after century,
we the people of the world
gather together with our family members
and with our friends
to celebrate that which we share
and that which ties us to one another…
year after year, especially at the festive time of the year,
we the people of Earth look to the faces
of whom we have known for so long
for clarity about who and what matters the most to us…
year after year, at Christmas time,
we the people of humanity –
no matter where in the world we hail from –
find ourselves in places and alongside others
who want what everybody wants:
to be able to live our lives how, where,
and in what fashion we wish –
and the freedom to be who we want to be
is the enduring hope of all of us
who know how precious our time on this planet is…
year after year, things change faster than ever before
and in ways that we could never have imagined,
and each of us have no choice but to ride the tides
of the sea of uncertainty as best we can –
because to not do so is akin to giving up,
but we as a species have never been the giving up type,
because we as a worldwide society
have always been a gifting collective of individuals
who want every generation,
and especially the children of the next generation,
to not have to be overshadowed by the actions
and the ideals of those of previous times
who sought to keep the nations of the world divided…
year after year, we the people of the world
who only want dialogue and understanding
between all sides of the diverse spectrum
of cultures and countries that exist around the world –
though still remain who and what we are –
wish nothing more than each and every one of us
to not forget what draws us all to one another
on a subconscious level of shared awareness and responsibility
to protect and preserve who
and what made us who and what we are…
year after year, Christmas after Christmas,
the world shows just how much of life
is a constant cycle of repeating patterns
that inevitably always lead to the same result;
unless and until we are blessed
with a revelation and a reminder
that we can stop certain things from reoccurring –
such as hate, violence, war, and greed –
but only if we stop and realize that we must
sometimes relegate some things about us
that have previously been fundamental to us in the past,
because they have been holding us back;
that is why, year after year,
no matter what I have witnessed around the world
and no matter who we have all lost along the way,
I am grateful for the people
who have given me so much throughout my life,
and I remain resolute in my hope that we
can stay true to our core human values of decency,
respect, honesty, integrity, and family
that will hopefully continue to show
any who wish to know who and what we truly are
to be a world and a people who are willing
to be beacons of light when we are needed
and who exist in a state best described
as being islands of happiness and peace.

Merry Christmas! 😊🎄🥳