mimipopa

‘’Wherever my story takes me, however dark and difficult the theme, there is always some hope and redemption, not because readers like happy endings, but because I am an optimist at heart. I know the sun will rise in the morning, that there is a light at the end of every tunnel. Michael Morpurgo

As holiday season approaches fast,we embark on festive journey where we celebrate the time with family and friends.During this time we have the opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us – a time when we can look back on the year that has passed and prepare for the year ahead.And although we see markets and malls crowded with people buying gifts and toys

it’s easy to forget that sometimes the best gift of all is simply the gift of time and gift of giving.For some people less fortunate this time is the worst time of the year.They have to beat loneliness,hunger,burden ,depression,cold,famine and the list could be endless.The weather is not helping either as it cold and frosty with fog,rain or even heavy snow in some areas

Its been said that we should think ahead most of the time and expect to foresee/vision what future brings but I could not stop thinking about a story that is still engrained in my brain.

I dont know how many of you remember the story of the little match girl.Probably you have watched the film however I will try to give an overview of the story. The little girl match story  narrates about the dying little girl’s dreams and hopes in life. The little girl faced many hardships in her life especially hunger and cold in the street in an attempt to sell matches. She started lighting the matches one after another until she felt warm. The burning flame, which resembled a candle light, gave her a warm and bright light. She stretched her freezing feet and fingers near the flame in order to warm them thus overcome the coldness adversity.From her vision, she hoped for care and love from her grandmother. Thus, she keeps lighting the matches until she completes the entire bundle in the process of trying to keep the presence of her grandmother. Eventually, the girl is raised up thus she dies and the girl’s soul is taken into heaven by her grandmother.

This is a story with a sad ending and probably I should write about something more positive but I think this is the best time of the year to remind  us about the bitter realities and take the time to kindle the fire for hospitality and give charity from the bottom of our heart.

For most of my life I learnt that being positive is  a hope of a bright tomorrow in spite of the darkness of today–and this is true.Hope surrounds us, whirls about us like the wind, falls on us like rain. Hope sustains us on our journeys, no matter how perilous they may be and, make no mistake, they are all perilous.Like the little girl match we should envision dreams and hope and although is cold and icy and the loneliness and despairs team to take over,we should remain true to ourselves.

The hope you feel when you are desperate is not necessarily for anything in particular. We don’t hope in particular for certain things to get to fruition but rather hope to  brings something inside us  to life. Perhaps it is just the full dimensionality of our own capacity to feel that returns. And in that state  anything seems possible. And in the event of failure, it will be this taste of possibility that makes disillusion bitter.Sometimes it’s easy to walk by because we know we can’t change someone’s whole life in a single day. But what we fail to realize it that simple kindness can go a long way toward encouraging someone who is stuck in a desolate place.This time most of us  yearn to stay in this in-between place, where the beauty of the times we have freshly bade farewell to is still alive and vivid in our mind – almost real – and the reality of our new circumstances has yet to fully sink in.We yearn for home,love ,friendship and job security hence we yearn for a better tomorrow.

This is the season when we have to come closer to the ones in needs. What we would like to do is change the world-make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter.  We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. We can  enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbour, to love our enemy as well as our friend,to do good and to give to the one who needs the most.

Before we close for the holiday we should remember“There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase ‘to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy’. The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing, shelter, economical well-being, health. The need to love is our social need to relate to other people, to belong, to love and to be loved. The need to learn is our mental need to develop and to grow. And the need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution” — Stephen R. Covey

For us,this is a season of giving ,for others this is a season of hope….So folks,start to be more generous..there is no need to be embezzled by the season scrooge…