Footprints in the snow

As I walked through the crusted snow, this Sunday morning, I was venturing to look for garland to finish some Christmas decorating that I had started the previous weekend. At that moment, a thought went through my head. I remember walking on similar snow, on this exact date 28 years earlier and what I found would change my life forever. We have all heard of “Footprints in the sand”, but this thought made my knees go weak. I had returned home from church, 28 years earlier only to find a suicide note. It was from my dad and I immediately froze and went speechless. As I went to look for him, I soon discovered on a second trip to the shed that the note was real and that my worst fears were confirmed. I am not sure how a person can explain the feelings that I felt, any more than I can figure out what my dad was thinking before he made that awful decision. I do know today, that we live in a fast-paced and turbulent world that chews people up and spits them out with little or no regard. The mistake that my dad made that fateful Sunday was the perspective that he was alone and that nobody could help. As we enter into the season of stress and dismay, we need to reach out and remove the barriers that have taken years to build. We must set our differences to the side and we need to encourage forgiveness, peace and unconditional love. If we could accomplish this, I am certain that it would be the only miracle to compare with the reason for the Christmas season. The lighting up of a happy face is as important as any light that decorates your home. Funny what a little piece of garland can do to your perspective.