Merry Christmas to all

Coughing, sneezing and wheezing , these are the sounds of my office today. It seems that over the merry Christmas holidays, people have forgotten to bundle up and stay warm. So now, with air conditioning at half throttle, people everywhere are dealing with runny noses and watery eyes.

But it was a merry Christmas for me! Friends, family and loved ones all around, joined in spirit, if not in body. My family is a spread out one, through countries and continents. We rarely cross paths but when we do, it is a thing of beauty. Family unseen in years, aged and different, yet fundamentally the same. It is always a joyous reunion, generously laden with shows of affection, and the occasional promise of contact.

This is my family, these are my friends. I would not change them for anything in the world and can only hope that they grow in numbers and in variety.


- Seth Mariscal, enjoying life since 1983.