Post Christmas

So it was a pretty good Christmas this year! Got to spend a lot of time with the family and family friends which is always great. I also got to spend extended time with my younger cousins, who kicked it over at the house for a couple of days and even hit the cinema with them, checking out "Bedtime Stories". Interesting movie by the way, which doesn't mean i thought it was great. Adam Sandler's natural comedy kept me awake. Anyhow, it was a great Christmas except that my oldest brother couldn't make it but we were able to chat up through the great technology of the webcam! I recommend it, definitely! Mostly, this Christmas was a very meaningful one to me because I was able to volunteer with a local group, Volunteer Houston, with a friend of mine. It was an amazing morning that got me to recognize some serious realities. It's unfortunate how much we all take for granted...life, health, strength, and family. It was a little depressing to see some of the people in the hospital (both young and old) on Christmas day, laying in the bed, some suffering from in-curable situations. I was blessed to be able to make someone else smile and bring joy to peopel that might not have had some otherwise. I guess the scripture remains true, "it is more blessed to give, than it is to receieve", because the feeling i felt after leaving the hospital was stronger than any feeling i've felt from opening any presents on this Christmas or any other one. This whole event reminded me that we dare not take anything for granted, especially being able to wake up in the morning and know we don't need anybody's assistance to get up and get around. How grateful we must remain in this new year, all the more with the distractions of economic hard times we face in the coming years. Regardless we must remember that the situation we are in is ten times better than that of millions of others...and we're only talking about in the US. Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year!