This is part I in our “Echoes” Awareness Wednesday series. “A Christmas Carol,” written by Charles Dickens, is a story of how our past shapes our present, and how past and present affect our future — both because of circumstances beyond our control and those of our own making. The story illustrates how the events and choices of one’s life send ripples throughout. Maturity can help us shake off our pasts to some degree, but sometimes — because of force of habit and personal equilibrium — we have a hard time changing. But perhaps most importantly, the ripples we make in the world can have negative or positive effects in…