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The holidays. Christmas. New Year’s Day. It seems almost obligatory to write about that.

First, however, allow me – please indulge me – a bit of philosophical peregrinations.

So. What might I offer this week that could possibly be of at least a little interest, timely, I ask myself.

Well, now. First, I think as unoriginal as my thought processes are, it just seems like I really should at least acknowledge the new year ahead. Two thousand and twenty-one. 2021.

It just doesn’t seem possible that we are one almost one-fifth of the way through what still seems like a new century. The celerity of the passage of time is hard to truly comprehend. So too is the fact that I arrived here on Mother Earth at the end of the 1930’s. Knowing that there are those who have been here even longer then I – some appreciably longer – is both a little amazing, and comforting.

Here in our pluralistic society, with so much discord, both political and otherwise, makes it so very important that we seize this new year as an opportunity to do a better job of getting along with one another. Hardly a novel concept, but an imperative if we wish not to have a repeat of the past year, at least in the political sense.

It would be here, now, that I’d lay out a formula to ensure that we really do get along better with one another, especially with those whose ways are not our ways, whose views are not our views.

Oh, I can mention such qualities as open-mindedness, forgiveness, tolerance, understanding.

Then there is the beautiful concept of brother and sisterhood, among all of us who are living out our allotted time here on the same planet. Some far more eloquent and intelligent than I could expand further on this, I’m sure.

I fear I’m rambling a bit much, now. Let me move on by quoting President John F. Kennedy: “Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.” (June 10, 1963)

Then, in an address to the Irish Parliament he said, “The supreme reality of our time is our common indivisibility as children of God and the common vulnerability of this planet.” (June 28, 1963)

Which now brings me to that which I really set out to do, and that is to say I hope your Christmas was safely spent, and that I wish each of you a Happy New Year!

Let us be hopeful.