To Democrat Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2018, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other countries nor the only “America” in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes.

To Republican Friends:

A very Merry Christmas AND a Safe, Prosperous and Happy New Year!! 

And a follow-on…

NEVER FORGET YOUR FRIENDS

A newlywed young man was sitting on the porch on a humid day, sipping ice tea with his Father.

As he talked about adult life, marriage, responsibilities, and obligations, the Father thoughtfully stirred the ice cubes in his glass and cast a clear, sober look on his Son.

“Never forget your friends,” he advised, “they will become more important as you get older. Regardless of how much you love your family and the children you happen to have, you will always need friends.  Remember to go out with them occasionally (if possible), but keep in contact with them somehow.”

“What strange advice!” thought the young man.  “I just entered the married world, I am an adult and surely my wife and the family that we will start will be everything I need to make sense of my life.”

Yet, he obeyed his Father; kept in touch with his friends and annually increased their number.  Over the years, he became aware that his Father knew what he was talking about….

Inasmuch as time and nature carry out their designs and mysteries on a person, friends are the bulwarks of our life.  After 60, 70, 80 years of life, here is what he (and you) will have learned:

Time passes.

Life goes on.

The distance separates.

Children grow up.

Children cease to be children and become independent.  And to the parents, it breaks their heart but the children are separated of the parents.

Jobs come and go.

Illusions, desires, attraction, sex….weakens.

People do not do what they should do.

The heart breaks.

The parents die.

Colleagues forget the favors.

The races are over.

But, true friends are always there, no matter how long or how many miles away they are. A friend is never more distant than the reach of a need, intervening in your favor, waiting for you with open arms or in some way blessing your life.

When we started this adventure called LIFE, we did not know of the incredible joys or sorrows that were ahead.  We did not know how much we would need from each other.  Love your parents, take care of your children, but keep a group of good friends.  Dialog with them but do not impose your criteria.

For all my friends (even those I seldom get to see) who have helped make sense of my life.