Its Christmas..again..The Most Universally celebrated festival of the year...a Season in which children of all Ages and Lands and all Faiths celebrate something special..A special kind of Joy..Lots of Love and happiness and the beauty of a Giving Heart,,
Each Christmas I think of my beloved parents and how they went out of their way to make our Christmas holidays filled with fun and laughter and joy..How much we took for granted..Though we come from a Hindu family My parents were World traveled and very Eclectic..We studied in Boarding Schools that were founded way back in the British Raj and our Teachers were Catholic Nuns..so Christmas was celebrated when we came home during the Christmas holidays in India....and that is one of the reasons why I have been able to understand Brian's faith and way of life so well....I will also say that many Hindus who have had a privileged and Westernized upbringing are broad minded and tolerant and very open minded and respectful to all Faiths .I think of Mrs Secords or `Aunt Betty' of St Catherine's and how she always invited me to spend my Christmas's here when I was new in Canada with Uncle John and her children and their families..
How large and kind that heart of hers which honored the great friendship she and Uncle John shared with my parents many many years ago.( late 60's)..Little did I Know that she would be taken from all of us last year 2013..and I think of her always with Love and very great respect and gratitude for her great big kind Motherly Heart..her children who are my friends and their kids are some of the the most wonderful people I have met in my time in Canada..
For me Christmas in Canada has become even more special ever since Brian came into my life in the Spring of 2009..
Before I met him I understood the utter Loneliness which a day like Christmas can bring to a new immigrant in a foreign land who has no one to call his or her "Their Own"..There is nothing more lonely than watching every one going home to their own families and having no one and no where to go to except alone to your own lonely home :.Lesson> Kids..Don't ever take anyone or anything for granted..when Love comes into your life..cherish and respect and honor it.for.Love and Family and true friends and your time with them are precious..No One will ever Love you the way your parents did and if you are lucky you will Find a true Love who is worthy of you...
Many signs along the old Toronto homes say " Keep Christ in Christmas.." I completely agree".Brian is a Christian and maybe the only one in his family who actually believes in God...and I experience and understand the beautifully spiritual side of Christianity through him..It is not about going to Church or wearing a Badge declaring your faith..but just who you are and how you think..
.My Cowboy Brian and I celebrated this Christmas again with his Mother and his sister Karen's family ( three teenaged kids Nicole, David and Steven) at their beautiful home in New Castle Ontario for three days..Karen and her husband Greg have a large heart and are lots of fun to be with...
Greg is funny..he likes to break into his Gifts and check them out before everybody else....He is almost like his teenaged sons in that respect...Brian is funnier..He spent a day in building a special " Security Box" to conceal and secure Greg's gift..so that he couldn't break it..The result? Greg got a hammer and screw driver and sat up on Christmas Eve trying to break into the box and when he managed to get the latch off.. Brian like a kid took the box up and locked it up in his suitcase until Christmas morning...!
Besides the great " Break the Box" Game We spend Christmas eve sharing jokes and dinner and catching up with each others lives..
My Brian and his Mother Irene who are both extremely large hearted and generous givers..
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| X Mas at Vedanta Society TO celebrated by all faiths |
" Granma Santa" and my Cowboy is their Uncle Brian..Once the Gifts are done..like most teenagers these days they disappear.into their " Cyber world."..On TV everything you see is advertisements for Gifts..
Wondering ?: Is Christmas only about Gifts .or is there even a lesson somewhere..?
Brian says to me..Its the giver who is blessed..More than the receiver and He is always the Giver..who gives more than he ever receives. ..some times I think even appreciation wise.
I think of poor nations like India and the huge opportunity there always is there to feed and give to the genuine poor and hungry and forsaken..I make a vow and say to Brian..every year from now on..I will keep something aside to send to a school or home in India which serves the poor..The gifts given to them will be more blessed and bring blessings than any ever given to the privileged..anywhere in the world..I also think of the poor in spirit and heart everywhere..In India I remember the school run by Sri Sarada Math.Pune.. .where little children from the slums were educated and fed and clothed free of cost and they who belonged to no faith or family..celebrated Christmas with as much of joy as any Western child...I was a volunteer teacher at that school during my High School days and still remember my little students who sang ' Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells" and all the nursery Rhymes I taught them in their little high voices...
Observations on Human behavior..Sayings from my Dad..Great People make others feel Great and Small people try to Make others feel small..
Every Family, community, Church, Temple , office and home has its , Mean and Kind ..old lady/ Old man,.Mean or kind young lady/ young man/ Its Teddy bear, Its Rebel..its Sweetheart and its spoilt mean Brat..its Intellectual.. Its Saint and its Sinner and its `Going going gone' character and its Ding Bat..its Mamma and its Papa and..we all play one of these roles at some time or the other.or a bit of each role....as life goes by...
.When Noble minded people whether in a home or a Train or a Temple/ Church or a family come together they talk of Noble and Happy things..of positive stuff and of the great and good in every human being.and even a bit of spirituality thrown in....They have immense fun and great times together...without having to be mean and nasty in their thoughts and actions.
When Small minded,Jealous and prejudiced people meet sooner or later the comparison and jokes about people and mean gossip and negativity begins and the knives come out..and Happiness and good will go out of the window.....
A bunch of catty men and women..whether in a Family or at an office or a place of worship or in a house will `Spite others'. I am blessed that Brian is a very cool, laid back, easy going spiritual minded and Noble Hearted man who stays far away from venom and gossip. He blesses me and those who know him in everything he does or says..that made this and every Christmas with him a special experience and blessing for me..
Even in the " family home' whenever he senses negativity either we rise above it by cracking jokes and steering away from mean conversations or just going off on our own together to little nooks and corners where we can keep our " Love Burning and Christmas Spirit High and alive" by staying far away from the " Meowing of a bunch of Cranky Cats"..
Karen and Greg's home has many happy memories and also many lessons for both of us...
I remember telling Greg's daughter that she was lucky to have a Dad like Greg and an Uncle like Brian. Men who are ' One Man Armies' by themselves. They work at jobs..come home and renovate and repair their homes..Greg cooks for his kids..drives everyone around and like Brain can handle a task alone which would need 10 men from other cultures to complete. ( I have seen how men in many Asian cultures would not enter the kitchen or lift up a finger once they are home)
There are many men over the world including in Canada who abuse their women, verbally or physically, who target women for attack..who may target a single women if they feel their `manliness' threatened by her independence or just to please their own wives who may dislike someone..Recently a Police officer who greatly encouraged me to join the Force told me of the untold abuse of women by men in immigrant communities and even Canadian ones..Women who are blessed to know and be loved by good, honest and truly decent men must realize how lucky we are...Similarly men who have the love of a faithful and truly loving wife are equally blessed. Unfaithfulness and meanness are the worst forms of abuse within a marriage.
Observation of Teenagers the world over :First Iv'e Been there..Done that"
Most difficult years in life..and also fun and crucial ones too....
Love and Hate are learned emotions which parents and Grandparents and peers can teach their kids..
Recently in a place of worship I saw an 18 year old
' Volunteer 'whose parent's pose as `model devotees', show exceptional hate and vengeance on someone his parents do not like. That person who experienced his meaness ..decided to never return for any Public ceremony to the 'Place of Worship' they loved so much ever again..
I remember my favorite Uncle Runu Kaka telling someone how hate and vengeance are very heavy burdens that one cannot carry without falling down heavily in life....Yet parents and grand parents do not understand how and what they teach their children becomes the " Guiding Stars of Destiny' for their children and grand children..Teaching Demonic hate , racism, division and prejudice shapes their future..
In Canada it is often "politically incorrect" to chasten children and so a Teenager can get away with Abuse..Anger, Meanness and more because parents think " Its alright they are only kids"..This happens everywhere in every community ...Its takes many years for these kids to unlearn behavior and get " De-hypnotized' from Hate and rise to Love and in that process much pain is involved....many people in positions of `leadership' are instigators..they may be " leaders by sheer age,or because some Trust and responsibility has unfortunately been handed over to them.... and that can lead to many being hurt..( on the sly) this happens especially in places of worship and such people break the Faith of others in the very God they claim to serve...
Brian and I speak about spiritual things a lot and the words from all great teachers who say that what we see and hear and take in and perceive shape us.
I have seen that many kids here in Canada and in India and world over love to watch Horror movies. and play Violent Video games...Many parents think its totally OK..because they Love Horror Movies too..
Where will the Blood shed and violence and Horror go..if not to the heart of a child? That is why I love the slogan " Keep Christ in Christmas"..Keep Peace and Love and tolerance and Kindness always alive..
What is one of the saddest sights in the world? A young girl or boy in their teens or younger who is no longer innocent and child like but Angry, Hate filled, jaded, worldly, mean and calculative.
What is the sweetest thing in the World?..The innocence of a pure child..! For God they say in all scriptures has the Nature of a Child..
In all it was a beautiful Christmas with Brian and his Mom and Karen's family.. and Brian played old songs on David's Guitar..That is one of the bonds that Brian shares with his nephew David..the Love of the Guitar and playing beautiful music..much of which Brian has written and composed himself..
Christmas is a time we all truly enjoy..
' Volunteer 'whose parent's pose as `model devotees', show exceptional hate and vengeance on someone his parents do not like. That person who experienced his meaness ..decided to never return for any Public ceremony to the 'Place of Worship' they loved so much ever again..
I remember my favorite Uncle Runu Kaka telling someone how hate and vengeance are very heavy burdens that one cannot carry without falling down heavily in life....Yet parents and grand parents do not understand how and what they teach their children becomes the " Guiding Stars of Destiny' for their children and grand children..Teaching Demonic hate , racism, division and prejudice shapes their future..
In Canada it is often "politically incorrect" to chasten children and so a Teenager can get away with Abuse..Anger, Meanness and more because parents think " Its alright they are only kids"..This happens everywhere in every community ...Its takes many years for these kids to unlearn behavior and get " De-hypnotized' from Hate and rise to Love and in that process much pain is involved....many people in positions of `leadership' are instigators..they may be " leaders by sheer age,or because some Trust and responsibility has unfortunately been handed over to them.... and that can lead to many being hurt..( on the sly) this happens especially in places of worship and such people break the Faith of others in the very God they claim to serve...
I have seen that many kids here in Canada and in India and world over love to watch Horror movies. and play Violent Video games...Many parents think its totally OK..because they Love Horror Movies too..
Where will the Blood shed and violence and Horror go..if not to the heart of a child? That is why I love the slogan " Keep Christ in Christmas"..Keep Peace and Love and tolerance and Kindness always alive..
What is one of the saddest sights in the world? A young girl or boy in their teens or younger who is no longer innocent and child like but Angry, Hate filled, jaded, worldly, mean and calculative.
What is the sweetest thing in the World?..The innocence of a pure child..! For God they say in all scriptures has the Nature of a Child..
In all it was a beautiful Christmas with Brian and his Mom and Karen's family.. and Brian played old songs on David's Guitar..That is one of the bonds that Brian shares with his nephew David..the Love of the Guitar and playing beautiful music..much of which Brian has written and composed himself..
Christmas is a time we all truly enjoy..
" Dr Cabbie" which was amazing...I could totally relate and identify myself with the challenges of the Doctor whose struggles echoed my own and which in a sadly humorous way reflects the truth about Canada. Like me the doctor found his true Love here and Like me that Love and not his success became the driving force and reason of his Life ..The ' raison de etre' for his existence..see ( Remembering my" Crime Reporter" days .and .A Walk on the Water Front with my Cowboy )
Many well meaning Canadians who have never stepped out of North America still believe that most immigrants got here on a Boat from somewhere.. and take away all the jobs and rights of the people born here..Dont Blame them..the Economic scene here is not pretty at all..
However the Truth is that Skilled Immigrants who come here on a ' Point System" such as I did are expected to have very High Qualifications amongst which includes a University Degree recognized by the Top Most Universities of N America , proficiency in the English or French Language.. Plus they are expected to be young enough to be of childbearing age when they land here and have been steadily employed in a recognized and High demand Profession for more than 5 to 8 years...Each Immigrant Must also bring in more than $ 15000 as a security amount to qualify as a skilled Educated Immigrant and have a clean Police record and good health. Once they arrive they quickly learn that none of these skills except their money and their wits mean anything...and they have to start all over again..though they already made it at a young age in their own home lands.A study by the Canadian government 12 years ago showed that very few ' Born in Canada" Canadians fitted the Bill expected of their Skilled Immigrants . Yes for those of us who did not quit and run back to our home countries. We started again from zero. Built our lives from scratch and are all proud of who we are, where we came from and where we are going. We fought the battle many times and won!
More over it is these skilled immigrants who make sacrifices and set high goals for their kids to achieve much..Many of the young people entering Universities in Canada and USA are children of Indo - Canadian/US and Chinese- Canadian /US immigrants and they did not get their seats by hoodwinking the system but by sheer hard work and the help of parents who made huge financial sacrifices and guided and encouraged them. India and China are growing economies because Higher Education has played a huge role in shaping those Nations..However what all of us have learned in North America is the Dignity of Labor.No job is too small or too big and there is dignity and respect in everything you do...There is also a saying."If you can Beat them join them "...
That is why Brian and I both thought that this Movie must go a long way in creating awareness about the realities which new immigrants face and more understanding about their lives in the minds of most Canadians. we definitely recommend it to everybody...I am Lucky I have a man Like Brian who understands and feels the challenges of people and communities beyond the one he was born in...
We also watched the much hyped Movie " Interview " which was vaguely funny but not our type. Too much of Crass and dirty humor..we both realized that " Hey we are no longer Cool..we don't like what most people seem to do"..if cool means Dirty..Mean and very Crass and superficial. then yes Sir..we are just Not cool..we are both really very" Hot"!
Brian showed me his Christmas spirit in many ways especially when he said.." I don't support cracking jokes and making fun of other cultures and races..though I totally hate their Dictator kings ..having a laugh at their accents and way of life is " Not my Thing".and That's just one of the reasons why I love him folks.. That's why I believe that if you have true Love you have everything and it is a God a
' Christmas Thing" a way of Life to Love and if you do not have .True Love .then all the Gifts and wealth and Fame and attention and power in the world will still leave you Poor in spirit and always unhappy ..and needing to hurt and harm others..This Christmas 2014 I wish true Love on everyone and everything..I truly do...because I understand what Love means...
