A while ago I gave my grandmother a call. I was having a bit of an existential crisis when something clicked. “Is this what my grandparents felt?” I asked myself. The question referred to significant cultural changes, world happenings and environmental crises. For example, I cannot imagine what it must have felt like as a child to go through nuclear test drills, and then live through the tensions of the Cold War.
Five Things
Read up on what’s interesting this week. Our 5 things columnists offer their perspectives on current events, what’s inspiring them, and what is worth paying attention to right now.
In Indonesia, where Christians are a minority, the Christmas tree often serves as a marker of identity. My own family doesn’t keep that tradition, though my children often ask to have one. I always tell them, “That is not a tree. It is plastic that will end up stored in a warehouse like trash.” For us, a Christmas tree has always been a living one, growing quietly in front of our home.
