I resolve. . .

To smile at strangers;

To contribute to my health;

To invest in friendships;

To free myself through forgiveness;

To triple the laughter opportunities in my home;

To practice patience, humility, and compassion;

To engage in positive discussions – attempting to listen more than speak;

To try ten new recipes;

To give to charity;

To read and learn;

To plant at least twenty trees;

To pray for guidance and assistance fulfilling these resolutions. 


Image reported to be in the public domain and available at:  http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html

 

A Different Sort of Christmas Story

Max was having the best Christmas ever. He was full, delighted with his new toys, and tired from laughing. Although it was getting late, he fought sleep while recounting his day.

Today, he didn’t miss his mother’s prompting to wake – his excitement roused him before the sun was even a thought. Seeing the array of “Christmas” before his sleepy eyes, Max paddled his way toward his new found bounty: playthings he and his sister never expected to ever have, clothes that both warmed and itched, and a surprise breakfast that let him know it would be a good day.

It wasn’t long before he and his sister broke a couple of the gifts – but there were others to enjoy. Hannah, four years his junior and his biggest fan, had accidently fallen on a short stack of the day’s swag and left all in pieces. Ordinarily, Max would have been angry – maybe even hitting his sister – today, it didn’t matter. It was Christmas.

Max and Hannah celebrated the morning by chasing each other, snatching and hiding the other’s toys, and dressing in all the new clothes all at once. A visitor that morning, Sr. Margaret Mary of the IHM nuns up the street, was quick to chastise the two when their silliness became a distraction. Sister would visit often, bringing a happy balance of discipline and individually wrapped candies. This morning, she brought large candy canes, Hersey Kisses, and at least two scoldings.

Despite it being late December in Michigan, it hadn’t snowed more than a trace and the day’s temperature peaked just over fifty degrees. The park along the river still betrayed shoots of green - though, a few mud holes invited lectures from Sister. A whole afternoon climbing the antiquated monkey bars and pushing Hannah too quickly on the merry-go-round was another highlight of the day.

Well, there was, unfortunately, a downer to the day: church. Sr. Margaret Mary insisted they attend the 11 am Mass with her and no one pleaded on their behalf to the contrary. Going to Mass meant washing their faces, combing their hair, and the indignity of being away from their new toys for at least an hour. Max, bored, got even as he delivered the perfect “wet-willy” to Hannah during the quiet following Communion – her scream even unsettled the celebrant.

The afternoon was spent reassembling toys injured during Hannah’s fall and watching some old movie where a guy jumps off a bridge and the whole town got different – he ends up with people giving him money so that his bank or something doesn’t close. Oh, and something about an angel getting his wings.

Sister left, the movie was over, and the toys had already begun to stale. All their friends were busy with their families doing family things and Max and Hannah were pretty much bored and waiting for dinner.

That was another misunderstanding – the folks running the shelter assumed that all the children staying there had a destination for the holiday. No dinner was planned. Though only eight, Max was resourceful . . . the shelter had a petty cash box that was usually hidden in the third drawer of the file cabinet – and fortunately, there it was. Hannah and Max enjoyed the best Christmas pizza ever and even got two free Cokes delivered.

Max and Hannah’s mother used to order pizza all the time so Max knew how to negotiate Domino’s. Unfortunately, she always was a steady (small "c") coke customer as well. Karen, thirteen when Max was born and seventeen when Hannah entered the world, was committed to making a good Christmas for her children – even if it meant that it was observed in September or July – whenever she was cognizant that she had children. This was the first time Christmas was celebrated on December 25, without one of Max’s “uncles” sleeping over, and without, to Max’s memory, him having to help his mother vomit.

Today, Christmas was at the shelter and people Max would never meet provided clothes, shoes, toys, and goodies for him and Hannah. Max was told his mother was “sick” and would be getting help and he and Hannah would temporarily be staying at the shelter until they could find someone to give them a temporary home and, ideally, some stability.

To this eight-year old, anything beyond safe, warm, fed, and with his sister was simply academic - and it never paid to look toward tomorrow.  Today, he was the richest man on Earth - warm, fed, safe, and with Hannah.

Merry Christmas.




Candy Cane image reported to be in the public domain and available at:  
http://www.christmas-graphics-plus.com/free/candy-canes.html

Luke 2:1-20

Tonight, I defer to a better writer:

Luke 2:1-20 (New International Version)

The Birth of Jesus

 ¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.  ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
 ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
 ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
 ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. 

Nativity image reported to be in the public domain and available at:  
http://www.clipartpal.com/clipart_pd/holiday/christmas/nativity_10608.html