Sitting sedately at a window in Atlanta yesterday, complacent in my recent 'Grannyhoodness', I suddenly became overcame with sadness.

Watching from the upstairs window of the elegant house belonging to my daughter and her husband, holding my 'Wee Boy' close, I observed the beautifully paved road in front of the house glistening in the recent rains. Exotic cars skimmed past silently, their headlights weaving mysterious shadows on the perfect roads.

I was showing my 'Wee Boy' the beautiful Christmas lights up and down the street.

Every house is festooned with strings of lights, net-lights covering every bush. Every house has red, gold and green wreaths, not only on the front door but on every window. The gardens are laden with glowing reindeer, Santas, sleighs and elves. Beautifully decorated Christmas trees shine forth from every front window, some with bright colors and some with plain Biblical soft white lights.

In our own privileged home we have two Christmas trees, one in the front parlor beautifully decorated with spangles and sparkles, and cherished family heirlooms, and one in the Family room, decorated for a child, by a child....

How many homes in zimbabwe can boast even one seven foot Fraser Pine Christmas tree, let alone two

My thoughts flood back to my Homeland often........ too often.

Rain, yes, thanks be to God, we have had a bit of rain, but Christmas lights and largesse I wonder....

How Christmassy do our folk at home in Zimbabwe feel The ones sleeping on the pavements outside the banks, awaiting the distribution of their allotted twenty dollars per day The ones sleeping where they always sleep, outside the railway station on 13th Avenue, or in the sheltered doorways outside what used to be Haddon and Sly

How many Zimbabweans' Christmas Day tables will be laden with festive fare How many gifts will there be under the non-existent Christmas tree

My shopping list in Atlanta is grandiose indeed, turkey and ham for Christmas Day, mulled wine and mince pies, proposed gifts for cherished family members. Shopping in the USA is inordinately easy, nothing at all fraught about logging onto Amazon online and ordering gifts to be delivered to ones doorstep!

How I do not miss the frantic Christmas eve trips down to Haddons and Meikles searching for that perfect last minute gift!!

I pray so hard for my beloved Country, I miss it so, even if I am complete in my Grandmotherly dotage!

Lord, in a season when every heart should be happy and light, many are struggling with the heaviness of life-burdens that steal the joy right out of our Christmas stockings.
God Bless my precious country, may peace, love and happiness be ours again soon.