The postman has just completed his daily ritual. The pile of envelopes are lying on the floor in the hall.
Opening them reveals the usual images. The smiling Santa, the carrot-nose snowman, the comforting log fire.
The Christmas wishes and happy new year greetings from family and friends that bring festive cheer but also in many homes a mixture of sadness and memories of what might have been.
It’s 31 years now since my brother John stopped sending his Christmas card. Thirty one years since that fateful October night in 1988 when he was murdered and Christmas was never the same again.
My mum and dad stopped sending their cards not long after John was killed. Their broken hearts could not be mended and no amount of Christmas wishes could make up for the emptiness they felt.
At 70 now I’ve learned over those many years that life goes on. I still untangle the Christmas lights and as expected have to buy some new sets. The tree is up and it looks glorious with its shiny baubles, tinsel and festive angel.
The gifts for our daughters and our wonderful grandsons have already been wrapped weeks ago. So I don’t have to make my way through the chaos in town dodging mums and dads frantically searching for those last-minute must-have toys or electronic gadgets for their own children filled with anticipation at what Santa might bring them for ‘being good’ again this year.
I’m sure many homes throughout our troubled but wonderful little piece of land we call home will be experiencing those same mixed emotions.
Our casually referred to ‘Troubles’ created so much unnecessary pain for so many people, especially children who have been missing that Christmas card from their mum or dad for too many years.
There was never any justification for causing so much carnage and gratuitous hurt in the past and hopefully such awful misery and pain will not be inflicted on the next generation.
I hope the men and women of violence on all sides reflect on the pain and the many missing Christmas cards they created because of their blind hatred of their fellow man. Unlike our Christmas lights the pain of loss they created does last.
Apart from the Troubles-inflicted pain that so many will remember again this Christmas, I am sure there are also many who will be experiencing a loss for the first time this Christmas.
Sadly some people will have lost their dad or mum or their child or brother or sister or loving granddad or granny through natural causes this year. I fully understand the sadness and inner emptiness and the harsh reality of heartache they will be going through for the first time.
The missing Christmas card will no doubt add to their grief. But I hope the many wonderful happy memories they have will bring comfort and replace the missing Christmas card and help wipe away their silent tears.
GEORGE LARMOUR
Author of They Killed The Ice Cream Man
Big two continue to dig deeper the trenches they take refuge in
Beyond the headlines the real story of this general election has to be the sea change in the political landscape that the big two monoliths of local politics should take heed. It is the first election when the union and the prospect of a united Ireland took a back seat and the majority of the electorate could no longer be trusted to behave and vote accordingly. This was readily apparent in the demeanour of the visibly shaken DUP leader who struggled to comprehend the political shambles that was unfolding for her party and sought solace in the form of a ‘pan-nationalist front’ a shadowy, sinister force that existed exclusively to thwart and frustrate the righteous and good from the holy grail of the union. Sinn Féin to a lesser degree appear to labour under the same idealism of a 32-county socialist Ireland.
This is proving more and more out of reach.
If Ireland ever becomes united, it more likely will be reflected on a federal model accommodating all the competing interests that share its geography.
The Alliance and SDLP gained because of the years of political, social and economic waste that robbed the people of leadership and trust. And with sheer bloody mindedness, the big two continued to plough and dig deeper the trenches they took refuge in.
Brexit has unearthed a new forum on this developing political landscape and this landscape extends well beyond the confines of traditional unionism and nationalism. I believe now the times they are most definitely a changing.
LAURENCE TODD
Belfast BT15
Belfast goes green
While the Tories celebrate, the DUP are left licking their wounds in Belfast. They have been shafted by their former bedfellows the Tories, with the border returning to its original place in the Irish Sea. Propping up the Tories since 2017 such was their excitement, blinded by their importance, intoxicated by their perceived power, supporting Brexit against the wishes of the people. The DUP, at last have got what they deserve, a disastrous performance in the general election, especially in Belfast, losing both the north and the south of the city to nationalist parties. North Belfast was heroically taken by Sinn Féin from Nigel Dodds by John Finucane. He will represent all the people of North Belfast in a fair and respectful way.
FRANK GLYNN
Cricklewood, London
Put on hold Irish language act proposal
Sinn Féin demand to have a compulsory Irish language act introduced into the governing of Northern Ireland. Surely they must be aware of the hell on earth this stance is imposing on all those who are aged, ill or in dire need of medical attention?
Now my understanding is the people of the 26 counties, have already refused such an Irish language imposition, when it was proposed.
It would be very odd or unbelievable, for the politicians here to accept this proposal, when its neighbours have already rejected it.
Now politicians the world over, are accustomed to accepting that not all their proposals will be approved, that is the nature of the global political system. It is generally referred to as democracy.
With regard to the proposal of Sinn Fein’s Irish language act, I respectfully beg them to ‘put on hold’, their proposal, return to the assembly and ease the present pain and suffering of those men, women and children who are in desperate need of medical care and attention.
By doing that, Sinn Fein may be surprised at how many more votes they will receive.
HARRY STEPHENSON
Kircubbin, Co Down
