Here’s prayer for peace, joy at home, abroad
Dear Readers: Today is Christmas, and we hope those who are celebrating this holiday are fortunate enough to enjoy it with family and friends. Here is a prayer that was sent to us over the Internet. We do not know who wrote it, but we think it expresses an appropriate sentiment for the season:
A Christmas Prayer
Let us pray …
That strength and courage abundant be given to all who work for a world of reason and understanding.
That the good that lies in each of our hearts may day by day be magnified.
That we will come to see more clearly not that which divides us, but that which unites us.
That each hour may bring us closer to a final victory, not of nation over nation, but of ourselves over our own evils and weaknesses.
That the true spirit of this Christmas Season, its joy, its beauty, its hope, and above all, its abiding faith, may be among us.
That the blessings of peace be ours, the peace to build and grow, to live in harmony and sympathy with others, and to plan for the future with confidence.
Dear Annie: You get so many stories about children who are estranged from their parents, or siblings who are cruel to one another. Here’s a nice change for you:
When my husband and I had our 50th wedding anniversary, our four children asked us how we wanted to celebrate. I suggested they and their families come to our house and rebuild a shade garden structure that termites had damaged.
So they came – all 18 of them. Tents were pitched in the back yard, and every room in the house had someone sleeping in it. Not only was the structure rebuilt, but they also installed a new irrigation system. They washed windows, inside and out, scrubbed walls, dusted bookshelves, washed and rehung curtains and vacuumed under the heavy furniture. Grandchildren pruned shrubbery and hauled trash. Even the garage got a good cleaning out. Our kids brought all the food, drinks and paper goods, and everyone took turns preparing meals and washing dishes.
I never heard one cross word or complaint, even when the line to the bathrooms was four deep. Grandkids gave hugs without prompting. At the end of their visit, everyone wrote about the experience in a memory book which I cherish.
If your readers want to do something really special for their parents, they might consider a “work day” similar to ours. And, by the way, my sister and her husband sent us on a cruise to Alaska for our anniversary. What a family! – Feeling Blessed in Whittier, Calif.
Dear Whittier: You and your husband must be wonderful people to have family members who love you so dearly. Congratulations.
Dear Annie: You’ve printed letters about people not attending events because they can’t afford a gift. I am the poor relative in my family. I make most of my Christmas presents. I bake a lot, buy small gifts on sale throughout the year and make decorative cards for Christmas.
When there are events that cost money, I usually say I can’t make it. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. Sometimes, family or friends will treat me so I can go with them. The most important people in my life understand that money is tight. This Christmas season, I just want them to know how blessed I feel. – Anyone
Dear Anyone: Thank you for sharing your blessings with our readers today. Merry Christmas.