Merry Christmas with wishes for peace and good health to all people of St. Maarten and the world as we celebrate yet another festive season.
Christmas is a time for family, and I know there are many people here who are celebrating Christmas for the first time without loved ones. I pray that you find the strength and comfort to make it a happy Christmas as best you can under these circumstances. Let’s each embrace one another this Christmas and find strength in family.
Family is not just the blood relatives you were born to but the close friends who pick you up when times are hard, the ones who make you laugh when you want to cry, and the ones who function as the wind beneath your wings when you need it most. As we observe this most sacred of days, let’s make love for our neighbors and our country part of these celebrations. Take some time to reflect on the people who have been with you through the year, and ask how I can be a better parent, child, brother, sister, and friend. Let’s take this time to show the people around us that we care.
This caring should not just be done during Christmas, but it must be specially done during this time of year. Christmas on St. Maarten is always wonderful because we still put Christ in Christmas. Let’s put that spirit to good use and check in on someone who may be alone. It’s not just a time to eat, drink and be merry but to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. We have been through a couple of rough Christmases with the pandemic, but in Christmas 2022, we don’t have this threat hanging over our heads, and we should take a moment to give thanks for this. We are lucky to celebrate yet another Christmas, and we must be grateful that we are here to do so.
It is my Christmas wish that all people in St. Maarten, especially, The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport, the School Boards, the Schools, the managers, staff, teachers, students, and parents, have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas. As such, I wish you a merry Christmas filled with joy and laughter.
Merry Christmas to all.
