A Christmas Reminder... BEFORE signing off for the day, I just wanted to put a reminder out there: Christmas is a really difficult day (or time of year) for many people. I hope it's not for you, but I can tell you from much past personal experience that it can be an emotionally crushing time of year, in a way that people who don't experience the situation can't really understand. Pay attention for people who might be going through this, and please reach out to them with a phone call, an email, or a visit -- the more personal and less virtual the better. Please take a moment and remember anyone in your life who may be stuck at home with nobody to hang out with, no family to visit, no friends or loved ones around. Give them a call; go fetch them if you can, and give them a place at your table. Think up and down your own street and see who comes to mind; your building; your local area. When in doubt, give a call. Remember, God doesn't have a driver's license -- so you have to be the one. If you're one of those people who can't stand the "festivities," but have to be subjected to them, I suggest you hang out as close to children, dogs and cats as you can. Even a fish tank will do. As for adult humans, there will always be someone at any gathering who knows exactly what you're going through. Much of the difficulty on any side of this coin involves the neurosis of families. You are not crazy and if you're somehow feeling less than a person, just remember that it's all a game you were taught a long time ago. This can be a rich time for harvesting personal growth and healing data as family dynamics rear their bizarre little heads. Please send your prayers to the families of American servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan who want nothing more than to be with their families this weekend, and to all those families who have lost loved ones, or fear they may never see their parents, husbands, wives or children again as a result of this war. And to the many hundreds of thousands of people from the southeastern United States and in particular New Orleans who will never see their homes again. Happy holiday, as very very best you can. I'll be close to home this weekend and answering email -- francis@planetwaves.net. -- Eric Francis Paris