As I Contemplate The Holidays...

I am a man of advancing years.  Fifty-ish behind and an unknowable but ever diminishing number in front of me.  I have no children, no legacy.  To be honest, that doesn't bother me, except around this time of year. 

It's television, you see.  I happen to really love Christmas, despite my personal non-belief.  It's historically, culturally and personally important that we have touchstones in our lives and Christmas is one of those touchstones from my youth.  Every year I spend a couple of days watching classic Christmas shows, eating turkey, drinking eggnog and if I'm totally honest, becoming a little maudlin.  In almost every case, Christmas shows always make a virtue of the one thing that has somehow passed me by: family.

Most of the time I'm very happy to be single and solitary.  It's a choice I made a long time ago and one I rarely, if ever, regret.  As I often say when asked what it's like to be an affirmed bachelor at my age, "No one has said 'no' to me in decades."

After a couple of days of A Christmas Carol and It's A Wonderful Life, I have to admit to feeling a little wistful about my lack of a family.  Immortality in one's children and joy in family gets a lot of play during the holidays and even a happily solitary soul like myself can feel the effect.

I don't ask for sympathy or pity, since quite honestly my life is exactly the way I like it, at least 364 days a year.  By Boxing Day I will have regained my equilibrium and returned to deeply enjoying being the master of my own time and space.

So why am I telling you all this?

If you are among those lucky enough to have living parents, children, siblings and/or spouses, I have a small request, even if you are reading this some time other than that holidays:

Appreciate the joy that you have in those people.  Hug them, wish them love, happiness and success and do what you can to assist them towards those things.  Please do this, remembering that there are those of us who don't have the privilege. 

I wish you all the most Merry Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate at this time of year.  And may the New Year bring you peace, joy and success!