Christmas Compulsion

I ran out of Christmas cards.

I bought two small boxes in August, one more in September and thought I had more than enough.

I have an address list on my computer [I used to have an address book but times change]. I guess there are more than 100 names on it.

I started writing cards to friends who live in other countries. Then very special relatives and friends. Then people who are very important to me . . . But I ran out of cards before I ran out of names.

I wrote holiday wishes on non-holiday note cards … and then I ran out of those.

Then I even ran out of stamps.

But I didn’t run out of people I wanted to send good wishes to.

I have no idea why it has become so important to touch base with people at this particular time of year ... this particular year.

But it is.

Sometimes it seems as though everything is being torn apart. Things are being blown up-- innocents shot -- thousands upon thousands wandering homeless-- so many people so lost, so cold, so hungry.

We need good wishes, we need to reach out to each other, extend caring and compassion, to remind ourselves how fortunate we are to have each other in our lives, however peripherally.

Because we all must carry on [calm or not] and do our best to acknowledge the interconnectedness of all of us.

So now I will send out e-cards.

God bless us, every one.