Well the last gift has been opened and the last hugs, goodbyes and thank yous have been given at our house and another Christmas has come to an end. It was a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with family that we will always remember.
We had no sooner finished opening the last gift than my grandson announced to his cousin, “It will be 365 days” until Christmas comes again. The child that announced this bit of information seemed to be upset by this news. The rest of us looked a little tired. I heard that one grandchild awakened at 4:30 a.m. and the other one around 5 a.m.They then awakened their parents with the news of what Santa had brought them.
My thought as I began to write this article was, “Where has this year gone?” It will soon be 2013. Those 365 days every year seem to be flying by for me. Then I think of all that has gone on in the world, and I have to say there was much that really upset me.
For one, the morals of our country have gone to pot, and that saying is literally true now. The legalization of marijuana is not something I would want in Kentucky. I can see too much bad that would outweigh the good.
I still believe in marriage as being the way the Bible told us it should be from the beginning of creation, between a man and woman. However, I do not believe in hate crimes for those who believe differently.
I still do not believe in abortion. My precious little grandson is a reminder of that, even with his disabilities.
I can see such a difference in the world since the Ten Commandments were taken out of the schools. Children at least knew the way they were to treat others by seeing them every day in the school. I do not remember bullying going on in my school the way it does now. The teachers had morals then and stepped in to make sure it did not happen. I do not believe in bullying of any kind. I am sure it went on, I just don’t remember seeing it.
One thing I believe has improved — but still needs to improve more — is how the public is trying to look out for children that are being abused. I think if you see a child being abused by a parent, it should be reported. I will be honest with you, there were times in my own family when my father probably would have been locked up had someone reported the whippings that my siblings and I got from his discipline. One talk from an official would have been all it would have taken to have prevented us from receiving some pretty harsh discipline. On the other hand, we knew better than to backtalk or not do what he told us to do.
I still believe in children being disciplined. I still believe in children having manners and knowing how to use them with their playmates, teachers and parents. I still think children learn a lot from their parents, and if they aren’t taught manners they will not know them.
I am so appalled by the fact that some parents can leave their precious little children alone to fend for themselves with no heat, food or someone to protect them. It breaks my heart and I have to turn the television off to avoid hearing more.
We have a hurting world that needs love and morals. We have had so many disasters in the past year. Love and good usually pops up in the midst of it to prove there are still good people in the world, but look at the damage that has been done, such as the deaths of the little children in Newtown, Conn. That hurt will last a lifetime.
I have to say I shudder to think what could have happened to Mr. Gene and Mrs. Jean Brody that night at their home when the lady came under the guise of being a vacuum sweeper salesperson. I still think an angel was looking out for them. It is sad to think that we now live in a world where we have to be wary of others.
I still believe in America, even if the election didn’t go my way. America needs prayers, as do all the other countries in the world and our leaders.
Like my little granddaughter wants, my prayer for the new year for all would be love, peace and happiness. We are each responsible for that.
