Common Dreams: A Christmas Story

[Raster]

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1224-04.htm

by Debi Smith

On the longest night of the year, I was at my computer struggling to compose a holiday greeting. It was about two in the morning and I decided to take a break and search online for an interesting Christmas story. Our family had been invited to come to a friend’s house the following evening to share in an old fashioned poetry and story reading,"something Christmas related," my friend had said.

Our families met a couple of years ago when their nine year old daughter joined the soccer team I was coaching and which my own daughter was on. They pulled up to the first practice in an old Toyota which sported Montana license plates and a "Free Tibet" sticker. They had just moved to town.

The mother soon proved herself to be one of the most thoughtful, compassionate, and generous people I’ve ever known; surreptitiously leaving me baked goods in my car from the bakery she and her husband were operating, offering to help out whenever and wherever needed, and always positive and enthusiastic. In our chats after practice, we soon learned that we had many things in common: similar parenting styles, similar eclectic and somewhat radical ideas about education, similar values and approaches to living... Our daughters, and our families, were soon hitting it off and it wasn’t long before we got together and shared a meal.

It’s funny how laying food out on a table tends to encourage the laying out of our most deeply held beliefs as well. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the ancient and almost sacred act of breaking bread makes us feel safe, nourished, and trusting enough to be ourselves. The topic soon turned to politics.

<snip, wonderful read, please continue>

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1224-04.htm

[OneBlueSky]

1. true peace will come when we realize that our shared humanity . . .

is far, far more significant and meaningful that whatever differences divide us . . . unfortunately, one of the main jobs of those in power is to prevent this realization from happening . . . equally unfortunatly, they're very good at what they do . . .

thanks for the post . . . and Merry Christmas! . . . :)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. But we can start

by acknowledging the fact that we are one family-the human family, and that we can raise above our distinctions and differences.