MCJ Editorial: The holidays bring back memories of the past and hope for the future

Christmas 2010 has passed and memories of family, gifts and too much food now are the only things left to remember of that day.

Along with the religious significance of the holiday, there are always the family gatherings. Children grow, relatives age, crabby cousins seem crabbier and the jubilant aunts and uncles appear even more jubilant.  Some things never change.

There are past memories of family members who’ve passed on, photos of past family reunions, traditions and stories that are passed on to one generation after the other.

The stories themselves monopolize the dinner conversations, as antsy teenagers are eager to get to the video games, the basement/recreation room television, texting their friends, or the next stop for more gifts.

Funny how these days seem fabulously a repeat of years before, yet they are refreshingly new. The teens begin to talk about college and their futures; what they would like to become.

You suddenly realize that what’s old is magnificently new again!

The youths have aspirations of becoming film directors or film producers, actresses, computer scientists, speech linguists, a teacher for the hearing impaired, a Peace Corp volunteer.  What a change!

Do you remember responses like, a teacher, nurse, doctor, lawyer or police captain?  And later, a writer, golfer, astronaut or CEO, were described as life-goals. Times have changed!

Many more opportunities are available now. Yet, while life-aspirations have changed, youngsters understand unemployment and reduced expectations as they witness parents respond to lost jobs, reduced hours, whittled away dreams for themselves and their children.

Instant communication has taken away naiveté! Youngsters see, hear and witness things pre-baby boomers had never even heard of nor could imagine; and their parents could not even envision.

And, each New Year is another opportunity to begin again; to start fresh, to create