A CHRISTMAS CAROL, BY THE BEATLES
January 06 Sunday 2007

A story and a song come to mind right now. Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, and The Beatles’, “In My Life”. I say this, because I tend to get extremely nostalgic around this time of year. Much like Scrooge, I find myself visited by memories of loved ones come and gone. And as New Years Eve is the anniversary of my Mothers' passing, this time of year is particularly poignant.

Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future – all characters in Dickens’ tale, and ones that figure strongly in my life. As I remember those closest to me, I also remember those “friends and lovers” who have come and gone, some more painfully than others. But that’s not where the story ends, not this Christmas…

For where there is a hope and a future, some come back again. I can say hand on heart, that no matter how long they’ve been away, or how difficult the parting, the painful memories lose their meaning when they return.

I don't pretend to understand how it all works. All I know is that love overcomes; that love can bring about new beginnings; and that God is love. As I continue to discover the true meaning of Christmas, I learn that much of it is about receiving (as well as giving), and in receiving those people back into my life, all the years of pain and sorrow melt away. It's wonderful a thing.

And so after six years and 12,500 miles apart, Kayi and I spent Christmas together again. With all that has happened in our lives, all the different places and faces that have come and gone, I'm reminded of a beautiful song written by The Beatles, and a song that says it all - "In My Life":

There are places I’ll remember,
All my life, though some have changed,
Some forever not for better,
Some have gone and some remain,
All these places have their moments,
With lovers and friends I still can recall,
Some are dead and some are living,
In my life I've loved them all.

But of all these friends and lovers,
There is no one compares with you,
And these memories lose their meaning,
When I think of love as something new,
Though I know I'll never lose affection,
For people and things that went before,
I know I'll often stop and think about them,
In my life I love you more.