What’s Ahead?

A season of peace? A time of quiet? A pause to ponder blessings? A breather to restore balance and justice?


We are in a season for all those things. Chaos and busy-ness no doubt have crowded out the lofty goals! We face cleaning up the seasonal disorder, putting away gifts from yesterday, sorting through things we no longer need and putting them in the basement or garage for taking to the resale shop. Reorganizing the refrigerator is on our to do list, so the leftovers from recent feasts can be consumed in time and re-enjoy the spirit of when the first overs were shared.


Flights to and from family homes near and far will be negotiated. Packing and unpacking suitcases will be handled as well. Then there is the actual travel and finding the car and returning to our own home in one piece! So much to do. So much to think about.


Peace? Quiet? Ponder blessings? Restoration of balance and justice? Something tells me these will not be attended.


We live life on several planes. First is our own individual self. Second is close by family. Third is friends near and far. Fourth is work colleagues. Fifth is extended family. Sixth is career interest people and leaders. Seventh is associational groups. Eighth is region and nation personalities. Ninth is global relationships. There may be some subgroups not included in the above but meant to be embraced.


We split our focus over a sea of people, things and organizations. It is not easy being the self, the lover/loved one, the family standard bearer, the boss or employee, or anything else. Especially true when we consider all of the above exists simultaneously. All are important. All do not get the attention they need or deserve.


And there’s the rub! We cannot be all things to everyone and everything, least of all to our self. We must choose. We select the most important to our well-being and survivability. Do not fault yourself for letting others down. Praise and value those who do not let others down, and movements and ideas, and good works, too. Individually we cannot attend to everything equally. Or even well.


Through collaboration we can achieve more and spread our time, talents and resources to those things and people who need them the most. That is our way forward. We know of the problems. But what do we do about them? How can we when so much is at stake in so many sectors at the same time?


Divide and conquer the work load, the agenda. Cooperate with others so more gets done well and on time. collaboration is a gift of our potential. If we want this to work, it will.


First is the want to be a goal.


Are we there yet?


December 26, 2019