This is created especially for my Internet friends all over the world. Although it doesn't come through your mailbox and it doesn't have your name on it, it really is personally yours.
I value your friendship, companionship and kind thoughts. I treasure your emails and laugh at your jokes.
I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas. If you don't celebrate Christmas, there's nothing to stop you having a happy time while others around you are doing Christmas things. You may have another religion's celebration at this time. I hope that it brings you comfort and peace.
At this time of the year, I think of a few special Internet friends who have been released from their struggles ----- Carole, Pat and Glen, Carla and Evaline. These people were as dear to me as the good friends I have made in person. It's wonderful that the Internet can bring together people from all over the world.
Our Christmas day is predicted to be 37C with possible thunderstorms and an overnight low of 21C. In fahrenheit, 37C = 98.6. That is not particularly hot but we will be eating a traditional hot meal! I have done this all my life. There will be 3 or 4 roast meats with all the trimmings, roast potatoes, parsnip, pumpkin, cauliflower cheese, broccoli etc etc. Following this will be the plum pudding with custard and brandy cream. We Australians who have followed the English meals for many generations, must be quite mad!! It just wouldn't seem right to have a salad!!
An important part of our family's tradition is to light the Christmas candle. It was first lit in 1966, my eldest child's first Christmas. It was labelled "200 hours burning time". To ensure this, I light it for only a very short time each year. Judging by the size of it, it will last for 400 years at this rate! I just hope that there will be some family member around to follow the tradition in 2411.
And just as we are recovering from all that Christmas eating and drinking, we celebrate the New Year. Many years ago, the cards used to say, "I wish you a prosperous New Year." It seems to me that it might be appropriate to say this again, given the economic downturn. As I get older, I want people to wish me a happy, healthy and peaceful year to come. I don't need excitement or adventures ---- I just want everything to go along steadily, with no unpleasant surprises. I want happiness and peace for my children and an ability to cope with raising their kids and the challenges they present. For the grandchildren, I don't mind them having excitement and adventures as well! I want them to be safe in this rapidly changing world. I want these young ones to grow up with sound values and a good moral compass. I want them to be aware of the necessity to help other less fortunate people. I want them to know how to handle challenges and how to pick themselves up after they fall.
If you would like to have any of these things that I want for myself and my family, please feel free to take them. If only I could make them my gift to you.
I hope that 2012 will be a good year for you. I would like to hear, so drop me a line.
Good luck to you all, wherever you may be, in the heat or the snow.
With love from Laurie xxxooo
Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.
~Janice Maeditere
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