December 21, 2020: WINTER Solstice

 Winter solstice marks the arrival of winter in our Northern Hemisphere, so at this time of the year I'm wishing you all a safe and pleasant season!
"When life gives you snow, make snow angels."

● NOTE:
The year of 2020 will end with a very interesting astronomical occurrence...the closest great conjunction of two different planets is happening, when Jupiter and Saturn will almost touch in the sky.
● Additional references:
> Jupiter and Saturn converging in the night sky, shown in weekly intervals. This simulation is for New York (USA), but the great conjunction on December 21, 2020, can be seen all over the world. 
> Excerpts:
- "On 12.21.2020 (the December solstice), Jupiter and Saturn will align so closely in the nigh sky that they will create a radiant point of light, some call 'Solstice Star', 'Star of Bethlehem', or the 'Christmas Star', said an expert."
- "Alignments between these two planets are rather rare because of how close the planets will appear to be to one another", said Patrick Hartigan, an astronomer at Rice University. "You would have to go all the way back to just before dawn on March 4, 1226 (nearly 800 ago), to see a closer alignment between these objects visible in the night sky", said astronomer Hartigan.

> ARTICLE: "Jupiter and Saturn Will Align to Create the First 'Christmas Star' in nearly 800 Years"
> ARTICLE: "For the First Time in 800 Years, a 'Christmas Star' Will Illuminate the Skies This Month"
> ARTICLE: "The December 2020 Great Conjunction"
> ARTICLE (via "The Globe and Mail" / Canada): "How to see and photograph the great conjunction of 2020"
> ARTICLE (via "CBC News"): "Christmas Star 2020: Jupiter, Saturn to meet in rare <great conjunction>"
> ARTICLE (via "The Sun"): "Great Conjunction 2020 LIVE: Watch Jupiter & Saturn 'nearly touch' TONIGHT on winter solstice plus meteor shower"
> ARTICLE (via "International Business Times" / Science section): "Is 'Christmas Star' Visible on Winter Solstice 2020? How to Watch Great Conjunction"

● My previous greetings on the same theme: WINTER Solstice – 2019, 2018

December 2020: A charitable gesture

Astronomically speaking, winter is around the corner, but before it arrives, on Thursday (December 17'20) I was able to organize a charitable gesture, this time helping the shelter of women and children affected by domestic violence.

With a handful of modest donations collected from several supporters of "ALICE & Friends Circle" as well as my family contribution this charity gesture could take place. On this matter, after my discussions with the manager in charge of the facility, in order to have a better understanding of their most stringent needs, I was able to purchase a number of items for these unfortunate women and children. Needless to say that our rather shy helping hand was sincerely appreciated by all!
We trust that those souls won't lose faith in humanity and would keep alive their hope for good.

Also, while at this page, I would like to share that the charity work my family does is private (as we don't need to show off), but the purpose of this briefing is to continue to exemplify (from a community stand point) that if you really want to do good in this world it is possible and you don't have to be extremely rich, but you have to be willing to care!

Once again, many thanks to my loyal friends and to my beautiful family for always being by my side and supporting all these heart driven projects - I consider myself truly blessed to have you all part of my life!

"Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, the opportunity and the responsibility
to give something back by becoming more."

● Previous philanthropies I organized for ALICE & Friends Circle™ – 2019 (gesture 1 & gesture 2) | 2018

KINDNESS – a noble virtue

These days, in a world full of all sorts of issues, kindness is becoming more valuable than ever before, and despite the ongoing harshness many people still find ways to help each other. According to scholastic papers, kindness is defined as "a behavior marked by ethical characteristics, a pleasant disposition, and a genuine concern for others."
Over time, it has been observed by many that kindness is an essential ability, a noble virtue, a universal quality, a valuable interpersonal skill, based on altruism and empathy. 

In other words, being polite, compassionate, gentle, carrying and thoughtful would be associated with kindness. 
Personally, I believe that kindness is a way to change the world for better, as well as a wonderful way (for each of us) to become better for the world. Different acts of kindness (from small to big, from minor to significant) are always heart-warming. 
For instance, kindness towards nature, towards animals and towards any other people definitively could transform the world and make it a better place to live, but this won't be complete if it doesn't include yourself. Kindness towards yourself is also crucial for one's personal journey and it starts at home; basically, it is about living with integrity, it is about being fully aware of what it is right or wrong, and by having a solid ethical foundation, based on which you could continually build upon. 

Unfortunately, sometimes people tend to believe that kindness means that someone is naïve or weak, but the truth is that being kind actually requires courage and strength.

On the other hand, sometimes people do confuse "being kind" with "being nice", but there is a difference: "being kind" is based on your personal beliefs, values and ethics, as opposed to "being nice" which refers to the way other people perceive you. Being aware of this, many people deeply realize that true kindness is essential to our daily lives as well as an excellent avenue to happiness.

Random or planned acts of kindness always had and will continue to fill the world with good. Many times, just a simple smile could change your day, shifting your feelings from anxiety to calmness, from anger to peace...the choice is yours; it might not be easy or simple, but definitively truly satisfying!
                    "Kind words can be short and easy, but their echoes are truly endless."