My sister has for years written a letter to put in her Christmas cards. There is nothing startling in the letter mostly a recitation of what her daughter has been up to, any travel they had done and a health report on family. A few years ago, she said she was done she had written her last Christmas letter only to hear from a favorite cousin who lives away that her letter was the one thing he looked forward to. So, like a good doo bee she wrote again for several years but our cousin died a few months ago and she has taken the opportunity to hang up her quill.
The job of chronicling a family’s year or a city or a country is daunting and should only be undertaken if the writer has infinite patience and a very tough skin because the blow back can be horrendous.
Here I go back to demanding critical thinking from people before they write, post or speak and yet there are so many instances where none is applied. Discouraging to say the least. The cavalier way some of our elected officials speak is almost criminal. Inciting people to hate is never a winning strategy.
My wishes for 2024 are that our elected officials become accountable, that people think about the consequences of ignoring difficult problems. I know its unlikely Santa will bring me any of that so a nice red would do.
Whatever you are celebrating I wish you the very best and in 2024 let’s try and be good responsible and innovative citizens.