Dear Father Christmas - My Personal Wishing List

By Heidi Trautmann

I want to slip into the shoes of my childhood, stand by the window frozen over by the bitter cold outside, rubbing a hole into the ice flowers to look for your sledge crossing the wintry sky. I would raise my hand to greet you and to let you know that I have an urgent message here with me, my wishing list for 2013.

I want to have back this childish faith that there is somebody watching over us that nothing will happen to us and that there is somebody to take up the wishes in a big book and fulfill them.

-I wish that all people of the world would take each other by the hands and would become all citizens of the world.

-I wish they would recognize each other as what they are, there would be no better or worse, we all have the same needs.

-I wish they would turn away from egoism and start to discover their surroundings; there is so much to learn.

-I wish people would learn to be more responsible for nature and environment and stop thinking: après moi le déluge! On the contrary they hope the next déluge will come and wash away all the dirt.

-I wish that parents and teachers become aware of their enormous responsibility towards our future generation: they should stop saying that one is better than the other, be it between genders or skin colours, be it between religions and traditions;  as old Confucius already said: in us humans there all available all seeds, it is up to a good gardener to make them come alive.

Parents should stop spoiling their children but make them aware of their responsibilities they have one day to take over.

-I wish to see borders fall: borders of mind and borders between people. We can see that people who have a common interest know of no borders, for example artistic and creative people. Artists of any discipline will understand each other worldwide.

-I wish to see the European Idea develop and become established without the thought of getting the best out of it.  We are at the brink to erect borders again where we have brought them down. We should see the common good for our youth to be able to study everywhere in Europe and to work everywhere, to be able to widen their horizons by learning about the others and learn their culture and languages.

-I wish that all weapons be demolished! Nobody is master over death and life. If they must fight they should use their fists or their mouth to speak out what bothers them.

-I wish that we become a little less demanding, we do need so little to feel good. With Christmas and New Year coming you will stuff yourselves only to go on diet afterwards.  What’s the gain?

-I wish you all a peaceful Christmas time – in the true sense of the word for the entire Mediterranean countries, our closest neighbours – and I wish you a good and healthy New Year 2013.