Greed, Generosity and Forgiveness.
The Christmas Carol is a profound story of misery and redemption. Ignorance and morality.
Ebenzer Scrooge is a man of little warmth, bitter by life circumstances and yet continues to make choices that prolong his wretchedness. Visited by 3 ghosts that represent his past, present and future, he is able to step outside himself and see how others view him. The visions he is shown allow him to clearly see the path of the destructive life he has lead and what will happen if he continues to ignore the call to humanity. The very macabre telling of this tale only serves to highlight the incredible transformation of this shallow man.
“Ghost of the Future!” he exclaimed, “I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I how to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?” ~ Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol
Everyone has a moment when they take stock of the life they have led and decide whether their path is true or if they need to course correct. Some catalysts for change are not of our own making however the decision remains the same.
My life was good. I might have wished for things that I didn’t have, been a little distant with the ones I loved most, insensitive and reluctant to change. I was impatient with my children at times and flittered time away waiting for them to need me less. That doesn’t make me a monster. It makes me normal.
But if there are lessons to be learned in order for my own forgiveness, it is to live in the moments; with the moments. To make memories and to love completely. I want to believe that I will be a better person after all of this. One that has suffered a great tragedy but better nonetheless.
I don’t need ghostly apparitions to tell me that change is inevitable but that the choice to change has always been mine.