First of all …
The USA has been known as a melting pot for more than two hundred years
However, we've actually been a boiling pot, due to prejudice
Fairly recently, with insight into positive focus
My mindset had reason to expand when
I was offered a first hand view of
Change, processing toward better times on a global scope, and
Before you tell me I must be crazy, please hear me out:
Though every religion preaches brotherhood, thus
Teaching children to love thy neighbor
Our belief systems have divided us into separate camps, and
If you ask what makes me say that, I'll reply with this example:
As soon as each child grows old enough to fall in love
Every religion preaches 'stick to your own'—and
When that which we teach does not match that which we preach
Is it any wonder why life feels more confounding than clear?
More puzzling than easy to figure out?
Over these past couple of decades, I've watched intermarriage
Plant seeds of interconnectedness in home after home where
Step by step ... roots are becoming so heartfully intertwined that
As the progeny of each succeeding generation grows up and takes wing
We can watch the boiling pot transform naturally into
A melting pot, where differences (which for thousands of years had
Caused barbaric wars) are beginning to blend in homes where
Children are raised by role models, who have literally embraced
The value of 'love thy neighbor' in a manner that
Makes good use of common sense
And once insight spotlights a farsighted view of
Parents, whose choices simplify complexity by
Creating 'the perfect present' within the privacy of their homes
I believe that a farsighted view of our descendants will showcase
The youth of future generations inching forward on
The historical time line as the intuitive nature of
Man/kind and woman/kind continue to embrace
A spirit of childlike wonder in hopes of
'Getting' back to basics in home after home in town after town
In nation after nation ... And while
The resilience of the universal spirit works patiently
Decade upon decade to create Peace on Earth
The time will come when world leadership is made up of
Realists, who will teach their flocks that inner peace depends upon
Being the kind of role model, who
Educates children to practice a rebalanced view of
Giving and getting so that rather than
'Getting' rich at the expense of others
The minds, hearts and spirits of the 'moral' majority will actually
Feel interconnected, mutually valued and deeply enriched by
Breathing life into the 'blendship' of friendship on a global scope
77 Nations and counting☺️
Now, having tracked that train of thought
Let's couple my second train of thought up with the first:
Though the holidays are meant to inspire attitudes based in giving and gratitude
I can't help but wonder why adults, who choose to
Give so much to their children—year after year—seem surprised when
Young minds imprint with attitudes of immediate gratification
Based in—getting bigger, better, more—right now!
It should come as no surprise that
Stories, describing three Mousekateers practicing brotherhood
While absorbing the spirit of giving, are sure to come alive
BTW, Ravi's first Chanukah gift from Gramma and Granpa was
Our family's favorite book, written for children (and adults)
Fifty years ago by Shel Silverstein
THE GIVING TREE
Next, let's address the true meaning of the holidays via wikipedia ...
The true meaning of Chanukah:
Chanukkah or Ḥanukkah, known as the Festival of Lights, Feast of Dedication, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple (the Second Temple) in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights and days, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, which may occur at any time from late November to late December in the Gregorian calendar.
The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a unique candelabrum, the nine-branched menorah or hanukiah, one additional light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. (Why eight days? Because after the lengthy battle had been won, there was only enough holy oil for the eternal light in the temple to last for one more night, and a trip of eight days was necessary to travel back and forth from wherever the holy oil was produced.) The Chanukah miracle: A flask with one night's oil burned for 8 nights. Therefore, the Chanukah menorah consists of eight branches with an additional visually distinct branch. The extra light is called a shamash (Hebrew: שמש, "attendant")[1] and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest. The purpose of the shamash is to have a light available for practical use, as using the Hanukkah lights themselves for purposes other than meditating upon Hanukkah is forbidden.[2] Other Hanukkah festivities include playing dreidel and eating oil based foods such as doughnuts and latkes. (After lighting candles while reciting prayers, it is customary in my family to rejoice, by joining hands as we dance and sing holiday songs from room to room, throughout our house, thus igniting our spirits' joy in togetherness. In the truest sense, Chanukah is not considered a high holy day. The prominance of Chanukah [and eight days of gifts] is influenced by its proximity to Christmas.)
The true meaning of Christmas via wikipedia:
The "true meaning of Christmas" is a phrase with a long history in American pop culture. It first appears in the mid-19th century, and is often given vaguely religious overtones, suggesting that the "true meaning of Christmas" is the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. But in pop culture usage, overt religious references are mostly avoided, and the "true meaning" is taken to be a sort of introspective and benevolent attitude as opposed to the commercialization of Christmas which has been lamented since at least the 1850s. The poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (1822) helped popularize the tradition of exchanging gifts, and seasonal Christmas shopping began to assume economic importance. Harriet Beecher Stowe criticizes the commercialization of Christmas in her story "Christmas; or, the Good Fairy".[1]
The true meaning of Ramadan via wekipedia:
Mohammad or Muhammed) during the last third of Ramadan, making this an especially holy period.
Whichever holiday(s) you choose to celebrate
Hopefully your spirit enjoys creating and partaking in joyful traditions
With treasured family and cherished friends
OUR FAMILY MELTING POT☺️
David, Barry and Steven … being their high spirited selves
Celina's free spiri
Steven, Celina and Ravi's first Chanukah party at the home of dear friends
Barry, Marie, Tony, Ray and Santa
Ravi's first Christmas Eve party with Gramma Annie at the home of dear friends
PS If you've been wondering why photos of Will have been absent—thus far …
That will change as soon as the story of his childhood pops up on your screen :)
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