He's Coming and I'm Not Ready

Christmas at Galilee

Earlier this afternoon, Christmas cookies, made from scratch, were in and out of the oven and generously sampled.  Wonderful aroma continues to permeate the house.  They look lovely and grandson judged them ‘the best’.  Daughter says that’s all that counts.  I agree.  I'll make more.

A fresh evergreen tree vies for attention in our living room.   That’s right, it’s not decorated. The family’s lifetime collection of lights, bulbs and ornaments are staged, ready to be positioned; may be done before everyone is snug in their beds tonight.  (Commitment – will be done before I’m tucked in tonight!)   Hey, I remember a Christmas Eve many years ago when my son and I bought and decorated the tree that night.  

Outside, a Christmas wreath adorns our front door and back door, too.  White and colorful lights have been festively draped on shrubbery.  Not as many as we’ve done in earlier years but perhaps we’re not finished.

Gifts aren’t wrapped.  I know where they are and where the wrapping, ribbons, tags, tape and scissors can be found.   Confession, I’m very nervous about the challenge – but such is my tradition.  It will get done before Christmas morning.

And so will grocery shopping, vacuuming, and dusting.

Christmas is fast approaching and I’m feeling more stressed than Merry.

Yet, it never fails.  Year after year, Christmas Day, celebrating the birth of the Baby, Jesus Christ, The Light of the World, is the most joy-filled holiday of my year.

Happy Holidays to You and Yours.

Year in Review

Facebook presented their concept of my year 2015.   Why not?  No doubt we share more time together than any animate species in my life.  Facebook and me, our relationship is consistent!

This year it’s a montage of photos selected by – selected by what?   I don’t think a person.  Technology with insight far beyond the reasoning of archaic human beings must have done it.

I found my Facebook year inspiring.   Admittedly though it took some degree of deep contemplation for me to reach that conclusion.  Today tears threatened to escape as I scanned through those pictures.  Yet, not one photo evokes sadness.  They magically work together connecting me to a lifetime of experiences and this year as I alone knew it.  Touching.

I’m retired.  I have time to ponder this kind of thing.

Celebrate the Season

It's Personal

Mom, “You’ve got to get Wi-Fi.”

“I don’t need Wi-Fi.  I’m online just fine.”

“But you can only work in here, or drag a cord along with you.”  (I was seated at the drafting table in my activity room.   Never would the room be called an office.  It was a place where I handled many interests and projects, not of an ‘office’ ilk.  It was my ‘activity room’.)

“Darin, it doesn’t matter.  The laptop’s easy to carry; the cord does fine.  I don’t need the confusion of Wi-Fi.   I’ll keep things simple.”

He let me do my thing for perhaps a year or more, until July 29^th, 2011.  That Friday evening I answered the front door bell chime for Darin to practically push in, announcing, “I’ve come to hook you up to Wi-Fi."  He had been at his office all day.  He looked pale.  He looked tired.  His wife and daughters stood behind him with their apologetic “we couldn’t stop him, he’s determined” look.

Darin with a NETGEAR box under his arm rushed back to my activity room.

I’ve had constant, wonderful Wi-Fi since that evening.

With thanksgiving for his life, I’ve written to celebrate

my son on today’s 54th anniversary of his birth.

    

                                           John Darin Stith

                      December 2, 1961 – September 14, 2011

Be Considerate

I hurried my shopping cart to the express check out – still shopping, adding a small bag of Corn Curls and a packet of chewing gum conveniently displayed to get my attention.  

Having completed my pre-Thanksgiving shopping several days ago, this particular day, I walked into Stop and Shop for 3 items, yet I had many more in my basket. Moving everything onto the conveyer belt, it seemed I might have more than the Express Lanes 12 item limit. I admitted as much to the cashier who pleasantly responded with a shrugged, “don’t worry, you’re fine."

 I had three more than the limit.  “My impulse shopping got out of control,” I apologized, hopeful those waiting behind me were okay with it.  They were.

 The cashier softly complained about shoppers being impatient and mean.  “It’s not necessary.”  

My thinking, she may be right but we all need to practice being considerate of others.  Express lane anxiety is understandable.   You’ve dashed to the store to buy a few things, planning to get in and get out.  When a self-absorbed person, cart overloaded for that lane, tramples on your expectations, it isn’t easy to ignore.

 “People have stuff going on,” I wanted to say but didn’t.  We don’t know the burden another carries.    That thought has impressed me since the time I realized my driving slowly, barely at the speed limit, heading to work one morning seemed as if I had no regard for others trying to get to work.  Drivers accelerated and passed, giving me dirty looks. 

But, I was dealing with a personal issue that had wrecked my world.  My son, a teenager, was hospitalized with a sickle cell crisis and pneumonia that kept him in intensive care.  He had stabilized and I decided I could go into my office for a few hours.  Darin and his recovery were heavy on my mind.  The anxious drivers broke me out of my selfish mindset.  But they didn’t know my troubles.

That’s when the realization touched my mind that I had been like that many times, at least feeling as angry as those drivers looked and acted. Someone unnecessarily impeded my progress.  My attitude let them know.  Not good. 

I could do better.  In the future I would remember I didn’t have to add to another person’s stress, whether family, friend or stranger. 

It’s important to be considerate of others

Thanksgiving 2015

"Yesterday was great.

Here’s table getting dressed

(Fruit bowl to be ‘Xed’)

Thanksgiving menu needs space.

Table set; we took our seats

Family gracious; family thankful

Head bowed; each proclaimed it.

Dinner was fabulous!

Dishes plentiful; 

Food delicious.

Hunger vanquished; 

Tummies filled,

Not one could do as eyesight willed.

Dessert pies and cake would wait,

Each of us had to recuperate.

Coffee time this morning was great."

                                                                  - m.l.stith