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A country divided

One theme that seems to have pervaded this year is that the country is divided. If that is the case, we must ask ourselves who has divided us. Of course, the answer is we have. The cartoon character Pogo once uttered this unforgettable admission: "We have met the enemy and it is us."

Throw a pandemic that divides us even further into the mix on top of our own tendency to be our own worst enemy and you have arrived at the catastrophe of feeling alienated in the midst of abundance. But, suddenly the magic season is here. Christmas, Hanukkah, the holiday spirit and the promise of a new year arrive to save the day.

Suppose we take a few days off defending our position and taunting others on social media and simply use the platform to draw attention to the goodness and answered prayers we have encountered. It might be helpful to rest our thumbs from texting and actually use our mobiles to call someone; the sound of someone's voice can be so uplifting.

Perhaps this is the time to pay less attention to the labels and categories society assigns to us and spend more time looking at our fellow worldly travelers through a lens that helps us see how we are alike rather than how we are different.

Maybe this is the time to replace hunkering down with reaching out. We have lived through a year of contagion and contention that has threatened our health and heightened our differences.

Science seems to have come up with answer for the attack on our well-being. The remedy for the division we feel rests with us. Among other things it is comprised of understanding, tolerance, acceptance, outreach and unity of purpose. It's ready to be field-tested. What a great time to start creating happy holidays and a promising New Year.

Ronald Bearwald

Northbrook

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