Advent

Have you noticed how the world around us seems to be moving faster and faster these days? It feels as if we are caught in a vortex, spinning in ever-tightening circles, towards a single point. Our current cycle of time is winding down, according to the Mayan calendar, which will end on December 21st of this year. This also means that we are preparing for something new, and this too, one can almost feel, certainly intuitively, if not yet physically. For my family, this is certainly the case. My daughter, who last year suffered a complete nervous breakdown, to the point where she could barely even leave the house for months, will be presenting me with my first grandchild next spring. For myself, I am exploring a new profession, medical office assistant, as a tentative first step into the healing arts ("mommy doctor" not withstanding). We have learned that working in a medical office, one must keep one's distance from the patients - i.e., not get personally involved. This is generally because most people go to a doctor because they need something: a prescription, a lab test, surgical procedure, etc. You can't give in to your own feelings, or else they will walk all over you in order to get what they need. I know this sounds pretty cold, but just look at the way people behave at a sale in a department store, for example. On the other hand, as a volunteer with the Red Cross at a local equipment loan depot, I can show all the compassion and empathy I wish. I can try to make every person who walks through our door feel special and attended to as completely as possible. These are people who also come because they need something: either they, a spouse or a parent, a neighbour, sometimes even a child, are in need of equipment to help them recover from surgery. A separate program can help people who need equipment long-term who are low-income. There are also those who come in, trying to help a loved one who is palliative. It is my privilege to extend help to everyone to the best of my ability. Our friends in the States have just finished celebrating their Thanksgiving, and perhaps it is appropriate that for them the two celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas are so closely linked, especially after the terrible weather they have had this year: widespread drought and flood. So let's give thanks, count our blessings and find ways over Advent to not only prepare our hearts, but find meaningful ways of expressing, our joy and gratitude, especially to those in need.