All I Want For Christmas . . .

. . . is not what Mariah Carey’s lovely words exactly mean as she sings: All I Want For Christmas Is You. In my case, and at this ripe old age of mine, the You are my Children and my Grandchildren, as well as All Children on this sorry Planet of ours! However, I totally agree when she says:

I don’t want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree

I just want . . .

And what I really, really want – and, do forgive my constantly repeating this – is a more Peaceful, Kind, Compassionate and Honest World with Equality and Justice For ALL! Too Idealistic? Impossible? Won’t Ever Happen? Why the hell not? How difficult could it be for us, humans, to Evolve for Heaven’s sake, because I am so done with Cruelty in any of its forms!?

And, yes, I also echo Mariah’s wish that I want these above stated Vital Values:

More than you could ever know

And, please:

Make my wish come true

I doubt that I am the only one hoping for this, because I know that the Majority of Humans in this world want that also. It’s just that there is a Minority of Extremists that we can find in their malevolent pockets all around the world whether they are in Leadership positions, Gangs, Criminals of every kind you can think of, or the Sheep that follow them, who are causing this chaos, anxiety and turbulence on our Planet. And, yes, of course, there is also this Virus running around, so far unabated, mainly due to Ignorance, as well as various other reasons, but, mostly due to outright Despicable Opportunism by Deplorable, Selfish and Ignorant Leaders. Quite Tragic, to say the least, especially these days with Alliances and Nations shifting, realigning, reconfiguring and readjusting to all the political turbulence and corruption, as well as to the soulless religions that are behaving more like disgusting political parties; as friends become enemies and once sworn enemies become friends in such a fluid atmosphere that I hold my breath at how precariously our world seems to be functioning! Phew! What a boiling, dangerous cauldron we are in!

Mariah Carey and all Christmas Songs and Carols also make me nostalgic for Jerusalem, my place of birth, and the tormented city that it has historically been, and still is; for Cairo, our first Exile Stop after 1948 and our beautiful Christmas Holidays there; for Amman, our Second Exile Spot and where I grew, learned and met classmates some of whom have remained my dear friends up till now; for Beirut, especially after I had my own children and what a big To-Do I made of Christmas and Santa for them; for my five on and off years in London where we took refuge after Lebanon’s devastating Civil (Uncivil!) War and still managed, despite our trauma, to celebrate for our children’s well-being and sense of continuity; and now for all those forty years during which we have been in Virginia, which is more years than I have lived anywhere else. My history, with all that it entailed of the good, the bad and the ugly is what makes me all the more anxious and fearful for this country, and for as long as there are people within, and without these United States conniving to bring down this Democracy and rendering it a Failed Experiment, my worries will not abate, even though I have my misgivings and grave criticisms for much in our system. However, neither should Anyone Else – not on the Left, Right, or Middle – abate their worries despite any hesitancy they may have regarding our system of governance, because unless we all seriously resist these appalling efforts in any way that we are capable of then we are inviting Dark Days ahead. Very Dark indeed! So, I quote our DHS (Department of Homeland Security): If you see something, say something! And, overall, we should all just speak up to our families, our neighbors, our friends, on our social media platforms etc. and voice our concerns regarding our country. It takes a collective effort!

I remember my wonderful maternal Grandmother who believed in the Evil Eye, and who, anytime someone visited whom she thought was envious, or had any shred of malevolence, would try to ward off that negativity by generously sprinkling salt on the hot coals that she used for her argilleh (water pipe), and, as soon as she heard the salt granules cracking and hissing she sighed with relief that the evil had been dispelled! I wished today that I could believe that and believe that I could dispel the Evil Eyes and Intentions of all those wishing to harm this country, or Any country! Enough of Evil Doings, Thoughts and Actions! Enough!

. . . . . .

On December 8th. we were Remembering John Lennon who was assassinated in 1980 – Forty One Years Ago. I clearly remember what a sad day that was for me! Today, I recalled his terrific song, my Mother’s favorite, and one that I had written about in a previous post: Happy Xmas (War Is Over). It is as Timely, Heartfelt, and Genuine today – if not even more! – as it was when John Lennon first introduced us to it. Simply Incredibly Sad that we are still living in Fear and in War . . . and it doesn’t look like there is an Exit anytime soon. What is it going to take? So, as I pull up my tissue paper, because I sniffle and cry every single time I listen to this song, here it is: