Finding comfort in simple truths

Calvin & Hobbes

December 22, 2010
By A. Gaffar Peang-Meth
PACIFIC DAILY NEWS

Merry Christmas to my Christian friends and readers, and happy holiday season to all! As usual, as the holiday season marks the end of another year and the new year is anticipated, some sweet memories are replayed in my mind -- some bring a  smile, and some are not so sweet, which I would rather leave "homeless."

With Thanksgiving still fresh when my loved ones gathered, I like to keep this holiday season as a time of joy, renewed hope and purposeful reflection.

Over the weekend, two of my grandchildren, ages 9 and 11, who told us we must need their help to put up this year's Christmas tree, spent the night at our house to do exactly that. They helped grandma cook dinner for the four of us, and watched an On Demand family Christmas movie before bedtime. I woke up Sunday morning to find my granddaughter, with a Calvin and Hobbes book in hand. She smiled and told me I should listen to her read episodes about Calvin's Machiavellian misdemeanors -- a precious time I added to my memory bank.

We thank the almighty for his grace and compassion for what we have.

I like to spend time during the waning days of the year to read inspirational words that uplift the spirit and boost morale, nudge me to move in the direction I want, assure me when feelings of doubt stare me in the eye, and move me away from being stuck and toward pursuing my passions.

I pulled out e-mails and links, from people I knew, others from those I didn't know, that I store on my computer. Recently a chain e-mail, "I Believe," that I received some time ago from overseas, reappeared, this time accompanied by beautiful photos sent from my high school alma mater in Ohio.

From there, I printed and posted as a reminder: "I believe ... That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become," and "That it's taking me a long time to become the person that I want to be."

More often, I Google "Think_It_Over" to watch a slide show by inlibertyandfreedom.com, a link someone e-mailed me as we entered the new year 2005. Accompanied by music, 10 slides of color photos, each inscribed with simple truths, help me keep perspective.

"Today we have higher buildings and wider highways, but shorter temperaments and narrower points of view," read words on one slide.

"We have more knowledge, but less judgment. We have more medicines, but less health," read words on another.

"We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk much, we love only a little, and we hate too much."

"We reached the moon and came back, but we find it troublesome to cross our own street and meet our neighbors. We have conquered the outer space, but not our inner space."

"We have higher income, but less morals. ... These are times with more liberty, but less joy. ... With much more food, but less nutrition."

"These are days in which two salaries come home, but divorces increase. These are times of finer houses, but more broken homes."

Here's where the West meets the East in "Think_It_Over." Eastern thinkers generally counsel us to live well in goodness now, at this moment, today; "Think_It--Over" also counseled that from today onward, be mindful that "Every day, hour, and minute are special." Hence, don't keep anything for a special occasion, because every day is a special occasion. And stop talking about "One of these days," or "someday."

The slide show asserts boldly: "Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment; it isn't only survival."

"Just remember that 'one of these days' can be very far away, and you may not be there to see it." The words on the slide show's last photo -- of New York City where the Twin Towers are shown standing.

In 2009, several people e-mailed me a powerpoint presentation of 30 photos with words of wisdom entitled "Some Tips That May Bring You A Beautiful Life!" You can Google to see.

"No one is in charge of your happiness except you," words on one slide read. "However good or bad a situation is, it will change," read the words on another.

"Make peace with your past, so it won't mess up the present," one slide prods. "Life is too short to waste time hating anyone." "You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagreements." "Life isn't fair, but it's still good."

And I printed and posted the following to remind me:

"Don't compare your life with others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about."

"Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn, pass all your tests. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime."

I read and find comfort in those words -- platitudes, I suppose -- during the holiday season.

As they help me, I am sharing them and my thoughts with you and wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

A. Gaffar Peang-Meth, Ph.D., is retired from the University of Guam. Write him at peangmeth@yahoo.com.