Latest update November 5th, 2024 1:00 AM
OUR POST-CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
Christmas Day came and went and so did Boxing Day, and it seems that most Guyanese, with a few noteworthy exceptions, had an enjoyable time. Christmas is a sacred time and the true meaning and essence of this time should not be forgotten.
Caring for the poor has not been lost on the many concerned and compassionate individuals and organisations who dutifully embraced the social responsibility of looking after those unable to look after themselves.
The financial pinch due to job losses, especially in the sugar industry, and declining prospects for new graduates coming into the job market, has resulted in a bleak outlook for too many. Even though it would have taken a miracle to ensure that everyone in need gets a helping hand this Christmas season, the private and public sectors did their best.
It is said that poverty often hides in plain sight. And too often, it has been overlooked by many of us who assume that those who do not seek help are not in need. This is where government agencies, communities and neighbours can make a big difference if they have their ears to the ground and are connected to the lives of the people around them.
Unfortunately, government agencies and communities have increasingly become casualties of modern life, as crime and economic inequity have driven the rich and powerful into enclaves with gated communities, and alongside them are the poor and downtrodden in ghettoes.
But, it is not only the economically deprived who need our special attention. As the country’s leading newspaper, Kaieteur News, which has documented the life of the nation for over two decades, is acutely aware of the large number of people whose lives have been overwhelmed by unexpected pain of loss.
In the post-Christmas season, we must continue to help the hundreds of children whose parents have been senselessly cut down by crime; recognise the pain of families who have lost daughters or a female relative or friend to domestic violence and those whose loved ones have been suddenly taken away by accidental mishap on the roads. Then there are those whose lives have been changed by the brutal touch of banditry, even though their lives were not lost.
There is a lot of trauma and sadness in our land. Apart from the aforementioned, there is abundant suffering from mental illness, substance abuse and the unending scourge of homeless, which no one seems to have an answer to.
Over the years, the publisher of this newspaper has made it an annual ritual at Christmas time to reach out in expressions of caring and sharing to bring cheer and joy to hundreds of children and adults. The residents of nearby communities can attest to what this has meant to them.
On the brighter side of things, holiday spending seems to have surged this Christmas. Although data is not yet available, retail experts have predicted that Christmas spending has increased substantially this year compared to last year due to lower prices and hardcore last-minute shoppers. This could boost the economy and possibly enhance the prospects for future investment.
All that said, gift-giving is wonderful at Christmas but sustained caring through giving of our time, attention and companionship to those in need can go a long way towards healing broken hearts and soothing bruised spirits.
Let us not close our minds to the pain behind the smiles of the many for whom just putting one foot forward has become a difficult task. Our salvation as a people rests not in our individual capacity to look after ourselves and our own, but in our strength, empathy and willingness to help the less fortunate. This should be our post-Christmas spirit.
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