December 3-The Woes of Christmas

Well, I am following up my Joys of Christmas with the Woes. Unfortunately where as there are so many things about Christmas to be joyous about, there are also things that can bring you down a little. For some this time brings on old pains, new pains, or just the everyday same ol same pains. Example-December 26, 2008 Betty Lavon Turner passed away at 12AM-well to get literal it was like 1203AM. Betty was my grandmother. She was in the hospital a few days prior to her death. We had Christmas in her hospital room and then Christmas night, while some of us were with other family, having our Christmas elsewhere-we were called back to the hospital. It was around 7PM Dec 25, 2008 when I got to the hospital. It was 10 PM when we all went to her ICU room and, basically, said goodbye. At 1130PM I decided I would go back home, to be with my babies. At 1205AM Dec26, 2008 my mom called to tell me my grandmommy was gone. Here we are now, going on three years and I still remember it all like it just happened. It saddens me even writing it. My heart aches for her every holiday-the most being Christmas. Point of this is that some people have so much to be sad over during Christmas. There are people right here in my community that will barely scrape by just to give their children one thing on Christmas People who will not have a meal on Christmas day, unless they can make it to a Shelter of some sort that still has enough food left over. There are people who will spend Christmas Eve sleeping under the bridge on the highway, or in a park, or just somewhere on the streets in general. Many with only the clothes on their backs to stay warm. There is that family I wrote about in a prev post that have to face what I face in 2009-their first Christmas without a loved one-of course, the loss of a child is hardly comparable to that of a grandmother. They are both sad, but the loss of a child will hit harder on Christmas morning. Anyway-I am sure I could find many other things that someone can be sad over during Christmas, but I am also sure the point is taken.
Lighter side of the woes of Christmas, and yes there are lighter woes. For instance, I have yet to decorate and I typically do that the day after Thanksgiving. Oh, and lets not forget the shopping, are you done? I'm not and probably wont be until the week before Christmas, or could even be a few days before. Wrapping, ugh, i don't know how anyone else feels about wrapping those presents, but I hate it. And I usually end up having to wrap for my mother, my dad(sometimes), sometimes my sister, this year I will have to help my kids because they will be shopping at their schools. So, there are a few things on the lighter side of woe. Point from this post would be just this: I know there are many things to be woeful over this Christmas(and others to come) but, if you think of my prev post(The Joys of Christmas-go read it if you haven't :) ), there are many things to be joyful over as well. Don't get sucked into the bah humbug of your woes, remember the joys and happiness will overcome.

December 2-The Joys of Christmas

OK, here we are on day two of the countdown to Christmas and I have been thinking of all the joy that this time of year brings to me. The hustle and bustle. The decorations, at my home and all around town. The time with family. The lights in my little girls eyes. All the excitement of every child. The Christmas shows on TV, classics and new. The music associated with this time of year. The sign that I have conquered yet another year of the madness that is life. The giving, love, happiness, sharing, smiling, laughing. These are the joys of Christmas. I am sure that somewhere in there I missed things, there is so much to be joyous about during this time. I may be a little bias because I am not only a winter baby, but a December baby and one week shy of being a Christmas baby, but this is absolutely the BEST time of the entire year. December makes any troubles suffered the other 11 months all worth while. It makes every heartache, teardrop, and anger for someone or something-meaningful. December is the time when people are more caring. At least 50% of people are going to feel the Christmas spirit. People are going to give to the less fortunate-those that have been forgotten all year. Some will reach out to family they ignored January through November. Others will call up that friend they couldn't find time for. Strangers will speak to other strangers in the street-even if it is just a simple nod of the head-it happens during this time. I love it, every bit of it. My heart is huge-I always give when I can. Smile at the woman furious about-what? I don't know, but she needs a smile. I always donate food to food banks as often as I can. I donate all clothes my children and i outgrow and I do what i can for those who have less than I do(which trust me-is VERY little). Point is, I always give, i am that person who wants everyone to always be happy. That one who wants no crime to ever happen. I have never stolen, I don't cheat, I do my very best to never lie, i want everyone to love each other. This is my time-December is that one time of year that other people feel the way I do. The kindness that Christmas brings out in people is what is the most joyous part of Christmas for me. I enjoy seeing so much giving, so much caring, so much love. it makes Christmas the most wonderful time for me. So-my lesson for this post is short:
Think of all the joys of Christmas. Think of everything happy that you can during this time and embrace it. Take it all in and then-carry it over to January, February, March, etc. The kindness that makes December the most wonderful time of the year should not be reserved for Christmas only, it should be kept with you always...Let the joys of Christmas become the joys of the year.

.December 1-To Be Or Not To Be-Merry Christmas?

Okay everyone today is day one of twenty five very busy days for me. I am not really sure why, but always from December 1 to December 25 I am a very busy person. I have a feeling -between revisions, critique group, new MS, and everything else that I always have going on - these twenty five days will be SUPER BUSY. I have decided to give myself yet another thing to do during these busy days. I will have a topic daily-some will be related to each other, but I am sure some will not.
So to kick off my 25 days of posting(my countdown to Christmas)....here comes topic number one:

TO BE OR NOT TO BE- MERRY CHRISTMAS???

I was born, December 18, 1985 one week to the day before Christmas. From the time I was born, beginning December first(and sometimes around Thanksgiving) everyone would say Merry Christmas. In elementary school we had Christmas parties and Santa's Workshop(which is where a group brings items to the school so that the kids can shop for presents for their family-so they can have gifts that are a secret and that they got all by themselves.), we always put on a Christmas Pageant-where we sang Christmas songs and did a Christmas play,  there was always a Christmas Parade, people put up Christmas trees and decorations, everyone read(or watched) A Christmas Carol and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, we made Christmas cookies and drove around to look at Christmas lights. And on Dec 25-Christmas day-we opened up presents, Christmas presents. I said Christmas fourteen times just now, and it flowed out completely natural-it didn't even sound repetitive to me as I typed it. The reason? Because it is what it is. Every time I said Christmas it was because it fit there, I couldn't imagine another word in its place. Well, some I can imagine it because it has already been "changed" to say something different. For instance-schools no longer have Christmas parties, they have Holiday parties; there is no longer a Christmas Pageant, but a Holiday Pageant. The Christmas parade is not the Holiday parade, and decorations are just that, decorations-even sometimes though they are Holiday decorations. And Merry Christmas is now Happy Holidays. I know other people celebrate the holiday of Christmas differently and call it something different. Some celebrate Hanukkah, other Kwanzaa-but people have been celebrating those for years. When did it become so offensive for people to say Merry Christmas? When did everyone decide it was best to just say Happy Holidays and leave it at that? I was always taught that some people have different beliefs and it is okay to accept that and you must respect them. So I say why cant everyone feel that way? I respect anyone who celebrates Christmas different than me, who calls it by a different name, anyone who has different traditions for this time of year. So should I not receive that same respect? I have spent 25 years 11 months and (almost) 2 weeks celebrating Christmas and will continue to do so until then. (My children will be raised the same) I have always, and will continue to say Merry Christmas. I mean no offense by it if you do not celebrate Christmas. Tell me Happy Hanukkah in return, or whatever it is you believe-but please do not be upset that I tell you- MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Thankful for Thanksgiving

I love holidays. My absolute favorites are Thanksgiving and Christmas. Both of these holidays are about love, giving, kindness, thoughtfulness, and thankfulness. Since I can remember, Thanksgiving has always been a holiday of joy. It is only suiting that Christmas comes shortly after.
We always talk about what one has to be thankful for and this year, it means so much more to me-and I was not even sure why at first. I think I have it figured out.
When I was little, Thanksgiving always meant-food, family, friends. Each year we would go to my grandmother's house-the whole family, with a dash of friends-and we would eat, talk, laugh, and enjoy each others company. Never forgetting to take time to discuss what we are thankful for. I always had a couple of things that came to mind. I am thankful for my family, my friends, my life. As everyone in the family grew older, that traditional thanksgiving at grandmas was not the same. Did it still happen? Of course. But it was also clouded by everyones own Thanksgiving feasts. We all became adults, with families of our own, some moved away, and some gained extended family. Whatever the reason, once we all had SEVERAL Thanksgiving feasts, that one special one became less special.
I lost my grandma on December 26, 2008 and I think our family got a little lost as well. My two aunts that live out of state do not visit as frequent and therefore our family Thanksgiving gathering at Grandmommy's was no more. When they come, we still have something, but it is rarely planned well or celebrated on the day Thanksgiving falls on. (This is also a little of what had begun happening prior to Grandmommy's passing) With the family tradition becoming more of a task and less what I so loved growing up, it took away the joy of Thanksgiving, thus causing me to have conflict with what I was thankful for. This year I have a different outlook.
This is what brought back the joy that I had lost. It happened when my 5 year old came home from school and said, "Mama, we learned about the pilgrims and Thanksgiving today. We also learned about being thankful, and I want you to know that I am thankful for you. What are you thankful for?" This, warmed my soul and changed my feelings back to what they once were. It caused me to look at it through her sweet innocent eyes and truly see.
I realize that even when Thanksgiving was such a wonderful holiday to me years ago, I did not really grasp the meaning. With her simple, yet sweet statement, I realized that Thanksgiving is so much more. More than being thankful, it is a time where you can sit back and really think about your life. If I sat down and began to write a list of what I am thankful for, it would go on and on. It would be easier to answer what am i unthankful for. The answer to that would be, nothing. I am thankful for EVERYTHING-my daughters, my parents, my grandma, my aunts, uncles, niece and nephew, cousins, sister, friends-my loved ones period. I am thankful for my life, and I am thankful for the time I have had and any time I am blessed with in the future. The roof over my head, clothes on my back and shoes on my feet. I will leave it at that because as i said, I am thankful for everything. So, enjoy this holiday-full of happiness, love, family and friends-and food and giving-and next time someone asks you what you are thankful for, answer with your heart, it may open up a view that you or they could not even see.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING

A Tragedy At Penney Park

This is a bit off from my book, but there are definitely teardrops happening. Today, well now yesterday(11-11-11), a 9 year old girl was found dead in a sandbox at Penney Park. I did not know her, but I am saddened by her passing. It is a shame for her, and her family-my heart and prayers go out to them all. My nephew knows her older sibling, and I live down the street from the park. I have taken my children to that park to play many times. My daughter attends the same school that she attended. My heart is heavy with grief for this poor girl and her family. I cannot help but feel heartache for her, for them. I try to post something that has purpose, my purpose for this post is to say:
I pray for her family in this horrible time. I pray that they may get relief from the pain they are suffering. And remember, you never know when someones time here will be up. It happens all the time, to all different ages, when the time comes, it just comes. It may seem wrong, it is sad, enjoy your loved ones while they are here, because you never know. Hold your loved ones tight, I already do, but something about this sad event will make me cuddle my babies a little closer tonight-and every night...
RIP HANNAH MARIE TODD