A Beautiful Poem by Suz

One of my finds this past year has been the blog Begin Again by Suz. We "met" through Microfiction Monday, and she has become a frequent commenter here. She has a wonderful way with words and I thought her post about this pre-Christmas week was wonderful. I am reprinting it here, with her permission. I hope you'll find time to visit her blog, too. (All formatting here is mine; it looks much better in the original!)

I suspect many of my fellow bloggers will be busy this week: baking,wrapping presents,

getting out more

chairs,adding one more decoration to the house...

preparing the way for Christmas. And for many it is a time of remembering good times

and family gatherings and for some a connection with the remembering of the Holy event.

But I have become increasingly aware of how many of you out there dread this week,

or disdain it. So much evil evidently has happened in God's name that some blame God

for the ache in their heart or the rage held inside..and Christmas has become a time of sadness

or worse

I cannot go back and right those wrongs for you and

I do not know what to say about the hypocrisy or betrayal you've experienced at the hands of a church.

I cannot erase a childhood of abuse,neglect,alcoholism,gambling,poverty,  loneliness,or coldness.

I cannot restore what is gone and who is gone,

and I cannot erase a broken heart or the pain of betrayal.

I cannot change the economy and find you a job or relieve you of the burden of debt.

I cannot know the emptiness that you feel as others tell of their gatherings

But what I can do is acknowledge you,

let you know that I'll save you a seat next to my heart on Christmas.

That I will remember the joy you have given me through knowing you through your blog

for sharing your beautiful artwork ,photography, writing, crafts, decorating, fabric and yarn skills,

for sharing your daily life with me.

For my life has expanded because of you

My life has been made better because of you

I see more joy

and beauty because of you

I have more faith because of you

in humankind's goodness

That despite everything, you chose goodness

as your first step in the day

no matter where or how you started

Thank you

and Merry Christmas

and may star light shine on you