Merry Christmas

He sat down on the chair. It has been a long day. He sat down to watch the wall. It was this wall, only this little wall, that separated him from an universe that he learned is expanding endlessly, getting colder from day to day. He watched the wall and thought about the universe expanding towards eternity. He thought about the stars that he could see if this wall was not there. Stars that have been born and died millions of years ago and yet, he would see them until the end of his days because the information of their furious death needs millions of year to cross the universe. Stars that are as rare in the universe as gemstones are on earth, but the sky was full of them. He thought about the millions of stars that are little spots of warmth and order in a cold expanding universe.

He looked at the wall and realized how lucky he was to live on a cozy little blue planet passing around a star that will continue to fuse hydrogen for much longer than he and hundreds of generations after him will live. And even more than that. On this living planet, covered from head to toe with life, he was lucky enough to live in a place that was paradise on earth. He had no worries about where his next meal will come from and he had more clothes than his wardrobe could handle. He started to feel uncomfortable. He never figured out to which extend his material happiness was linked to the poverty of others. The thought that others suffer for his pleasures makes him worry from time to time when watching the wall. He thought, it might be time to do something about it. Something serious. Something that will last.

He thought about the things he did that will last. He couldn’t figure out much. He looked at the wall and he wished that the wall with all his little thoughts will stay.

He thought about how rarely he sits in front of his wall. He should sit more often on this chair and face it. Thinking about himself and about what he can and should do. Thinking about the things that really matter. Thinking about people smiling and about animals suffering. And saying thank you for the pleasures of life and the people and animals he loves. Thank you for the simple fact of existance. Thank you, W., for being there and your love. Thank you, dear friends for your time. Thank you Mr. and Ms. Unknown for your smile. Thank you for my mother’s cancer being treatable. Thank you for inspiration. Thank you for showing the limits. Thank you for this wall and the chair to sit down.

Merry Christmas!