Merry Christmas
This is the most wonderful time of the year, to paraphrase the popular song, with holiday music playing in the malls and on our car radios, resurrecting our earliest childhood memories of Christmases-past.
We choose just the right tree, decorate it carefully with our family-heirloom ornaments, and when we first turn on the lights, it brings a smile to the faces of even the oldest among us.
Despite the hectic rushing to and fro’, everybody, it seems, is in a good mood. We endure the traffic and the long lines in stores because we know that what we are doing will bring joy and happiness to others.
For those of us with young children, we get to see Christmas through their eyes, giving us a second-chance to experience the wonder and joy that we felt when we were their age.
Although all of us celebrate the holiday season in our own way, the common thread is one of peace, joy, and happiness, regardless of religious or secular beliefs. Whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or a Seinfeldian Festivus, the spirit of the season imbues us with a sense of togetherness that transcends whatever negativity may exist both in our own lives and in the world around us.
We wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.
A great World Cup
We don’t pretend to be big soccer fans, but even we were caught up in the excitement and the drama of the World Cup, which reached its climax this past Sunday with the exciting and exhilarating victory by Argentina in a shoot-out over defending champion France.
As long-time Boston sports rooters, we know of the passion that we and our fellow local fans have for our local teams. But our enthusiasm does not even come close to that of World Cup fans for their heroes.
The raw emotion among the fans in the stands, their raucous celebrations in the streets back home, and the individual stories of fans who traveled thousands of miles (and who spent their life savings) just to be on hand were epic.
Moreover, it was a World Cup for everyone, including the U.S., which qualified for the cup for the first time in eight years and made it through the knockout round, but especially for the fans of underdog Morocco, which became the first team from Africa and the Arab world to reach the semifinals.
At a time when there is so much misery and conflict in our world, the World Cup brought nations together as no other event can.
We’ll be looking forward to the 2026 Cup when it will be hosted in No. America by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.