BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - Once again I extend sincere good wishes to my fellow citizens and residents of St. Kitts and Nevis on my own behalf and also on behalf of my family and the executive and members of the Peoples Action Movement.
There is no better time that embodies the spirit of goodwill and generosity.
The year that is almost past has proven to be a very difficult one for most of us both here at home and in the Diaspora. Our fortunes have diminished with our ever-increasing debt burden. Our streets have become more violent and unfriendly. The pressures of life seem to be unending.
The year has ended with many out of a job and facing the future with deep uncertainty. Yet even as those of us who have jobs wonder how we will stretch our reduced salaries to cover the full cost of all our bills we know that we are among the more fortunate.
Many have incurred debt which is difficult to pay and many are seeing no light at the end of the tunnel. Our government like many of us has now defaulted on its obligations.
Now the truth is slowly being revealed. Our economy is in severe difficulties and jobs are hard to come by. The challenges that have gone have not only tested our mettle but have also forced us to acknowledge the responsibilities that are attendant upon our citizenship.
I especially remember those who are mourning this Christmas without those special family members and friends that were killed over the course of this year. Thirty-three young people lost their lives in senseless violence and as families and communities we are left to pick up the pieces of shattered lives.
I am grateful to know that there were persons who were there to lend a hand in times of adversity. All the failures and disappointments of 2011 are firmly and permanently in the past and we look optimistically to the future.
Yet, thankfully, this is Christmas. This is the time when friends and neighbours come together and share all that is best about the human spirit in celebration of the greatest gift given to mankind. Together we ensure that our elderly and disabled and those less fortunate enjoy the experience of the season. Now more than ever we need this spirit of togetherness as we share the burden of difficult times.
It is easy in these circumstances to appreciate the depth of love that was expressed by Almighty God when he initiated Christmas. The Christ
came into the world at a time when all seemed helpless and people were in deep despair and he came with a message; “to you I bring good tidings of great joy that will be to all mankind.”
It is this message that is just as important now as it ever was. It is this wish I extend to all fellow citizens and the residents of our beloved country. I wish for us all to share in the true spirit of peace and goodwill.
May Almighty God’s richest blessings shower down upon us for this Christmas and may we have a safe and event free Carnival.
Thank you and Merry Christmas.
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