A-caroling We Will Go

        The world we once knew has turned on its head. “It's the most wonderful time of the year with the kids jingle belling, and everyone telling you be of good cheer,” they used to say. Although one may mistake this for the words of a hermit who has been living under a rock for the past few years. If one were to look at the current state of the world, one would find these lyrics ill-suited. 

       As the time of Home Alone reruns on Star Movies begins, I have felt as though the season has begun to lose its wonder. The rising prices of even the most basic of commodities has put pressure on our family. Celebrations feel as though they have lost their magic. The joy I once felt for the season has slowly started waning. This feeling is then further exacerbated by the global pandemic that has shadowed our lives for almost three years at this point. Families have been separated, and left people feeling lonelier than ever. 

      Despite all this, the season’s meaning has been distilled to its most base elements, familial love and simplicity. The season has become a brief respite from the increasing amounts of entropy and chaos in the world. That for one brief moment, the world seems at peace. Technology has made the vast expanse between all of us less daunting. Even if we are separated by screens, the truest emotion of the season, love, still remains.