Friday, December 30, 2011

Another Year Gone By…A New One on the Way!



2011 has been a pretty good year; I am thankful for so much.  My children, who are no longer children, are each adults who fill my heart with love and pride.  They are each cultivating their own interests and forging careers geared toward where their hearts and desires are leading them.   I wish them the fulfillment of their dreams. 

My daughter has always wanted to teach.   She adores children and has the patience of a saint.  She is now working as a substitute teacher and I hope she earns a full-time position, as she could give so much to her students.  I believe that once those in charge see how wonderful and dedicated she is to teaching, they will think of her when a position opens.  Her skills with the students are obvious.  Hopefully, funding to the public schools will not be hurt to the point where the children suffer and good teachers, like my daughter, are left out, unable to propel students toward their inner greatness.  Society needs strong thinkers more than ever.  Without education, there will be no such people to lead us into the future.

Since he was a very young boy, my son has always had a thirst for science.  Working toward finding a cure for cancer was his goal for as long as I can remember.  My son is named for his amazingly intelligent, brave cousin who lost his battle with cancer before my son was born.  Years later, after my other good-hearted, talented nephew was forced to fight this horrific disease, my son’s desire to work in this field only intensified.  Now, after years of hard work and dedication, he is working in a lab, studying to earn his PhD in Immunology and Infectious Diseases.  His devotion and respect for science has driven him to earn this coveted spot while his intelligence and heart will enable him to succeed.  I have never known anyone as determined, talented and driven to help mankind.  I watch with deep pride and admiration as he proceeds along his career path.

While my children are following their hearts in their professions, they are also in strong relationships with caring, wonderful people.  As a parent, there is nothing more important than the happiness, health and well being of my children.  I only hope that 2012 will enable them to further their walk on their pathways of choice.   As they proceed, my wish is for them to fulfill their dreams while hopefully staying close enough for a warm hug from their old momma every so often!

Although my prior career has come to an abrupt ending, one I would not have volunteered for or chosen, its demise has afforded me time to pursue my dream, writing.  Writing this blog is cathartic.  I sit down and just let my fingers go.  It’s as if they aren’t connected to my body.  Feelings and thoughts go directly from my heart, not my brain.  (Please, no snide remarks….)  There are moments when my fingers fly across the keyboard and I am not even aware of their movement or where the movement is heading.  With eyes closed, I just let them go.  The assurance I give is that whatever ends up on the post is honest and heartfelt. I sincerely hope that feeling comes across to you, the reader.

Although I love my writing, as of now it doesn’t pay the bills.  After being laid-off and finding it more difficult than I ever could have imagined to find a new position, I am working part-time in a retail store.  I love people and truly enjoy working retail, probably for the same reasons I cherished working in Human Resources.  Working with people, making their day easier and brighter is such an amazing feeling!  By the end of the day, when working in human resources, whether it was spent helping my fellow employees work out their benefits or allowing someone coming in for an interview to feel less nervous, I felt that the day had been spent in a meaningful, worthwhile manner.  I felt useful and enjoyed that feeling.  I do experience that same feeling now in the store when I enable a harried young mom to smile, or help someone find something special they were searching for.  The problem with retail is the salary.  As I’ve said before in prior blogs, I am extremely thankful my husband earns enough for us and my income has always been secondary.  However, it was very nice having that monetary boost for so many years.  The vacations, home improvements and just day-to-day expenditures that I now watch closely, were much freer before, and honestly, that was a lot more fun.

I am certainly not complaining, however.  I enjoy my time writing as I enjoy my time in the store.  As long as my family is well, I am happy and I am thankful.

Finally, in 2011, my friendships have grown deeper and so very meaningful.  I am honored to have the friends in my life that I do.  There are women I have known for decades, and my cousin who I have been close with my entire life.  These very special women know everything there is to know about me; my anxieties, my dreams, my hopes, my fears, and miraculously, they love me anyway!  I also have relatively new friends that have become of utmost importance to my husband and me.  We have travelled together and shared breakfasts, dinners, smiles, tears and laughter.  In a short time, they have become part of my family.  I don’t know how I would have survived the harder experiences of my life without these special people – you all know who you are.  I love you.

My husband and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary in 2011.  Whoever would have believed that 32 years have flown by?!   We have truly grown up together.  He is an amazing father, a gracious man who has devoted his life to not only our family, and me, but also to my parents who he welcomed into our home.  He helped my dad all through his illness and now comes to my mom’s aid whenever she needs help with her banking or other such details.  He is patient and giving and I thank him for putting up with me all these years.  I can’t imagine growing old with anyone else.

And finally, there are those who read this blog; the friends, relatives and the unbelievable amount of strangers who follow my ramblings.  I thank you and I appreciate your time and attention.  I truly hope my thoughts resonate within your heart and you find that no matter where on this earth you live, we all share the same humanity.

So, thank you 2011.  You have enabled my family and I to grow and deepen our quest to fulfill our hearts’ desires.  You have brought a multitude of emotions that have forced me to look deeply within and I feel I have learned so very much.  As always on New Year’s Eve, I will be sad that another year is over, but I will be hopeful that the year ahead will bring good health, happy times and satisfaction.

I wish everyone a happy and a healthy 2012.  Please keep reading…. I will try to make it worthy of your time.

Happy New Year!!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Thoughts on Christmas Day



Growing up, Christmas Day was a day for enjoying a huge family celebration.  Everyone would come to our house for the day’s festivities.  We would eat wonderful foods, prepared by either my Mom or my aunts.  My cousins and I would play games and the older family members; aunts, uncles, and grandparents, would sit and talk over coffee and cake.  The only reality that separated our family celebration on Christmas day from millions of others around the world was that instead of gathering around a tree and gifts for everyone, we would gather around a birthday cake with my Dad’s name on it and what gifts there were, would be for him. 

We are Jewish.  My Dad happened to be a Christmas baby.  Since Christmas is a quite major holiday although not one of our particular religious beliefs, we used the opportunity as a gift to enjoy a huge family celebration.   Everyone was off from work and quite honestly there was nothing else to do!  All stores and restaurants are closed on Christmas so there really was little competition for my Dad’s birthday celebration.  Chinese food and a movie were never an option for us, as we did have our unique reason to celebrate as a family, my Dad!

In my naiveté growing up, I thought everyone felt like an outsider on Christmas.  My family was fairly insulated in those days in that there were no members of the family who were not Jewish.   Our interaction with the holiday amounted to watching excellent Christmas movies that made us all cry, listening to Christmas carols while weaving through crowded stores looking for my Dad’s birthday present, and driving through ‘other’ neighborhoods to see the beautiful lights.  Our lights consisted of the burning candles on our Menorah, candles that burned themselves out in less than 10 minutes! Chanukah gifts, in those days, consisted of a shiny quarter and sometimes a dreidel filled with hard candy.  

I have vivid memories of my second grade Christmas show in elementary school; it wasn’t called a Holiday show in those days.  My class consisted of 24 children, all Jewish – the teacher, Mrs. Fisher was Jewish, yet we put on a Christmas show!  To this day I remember sitting cross-legged on the stage floor with my xylophone, playing and singing along to “Silver Bells” directed toward an audience wondering where they would get a really good corned beef special for dinner when the show was over! 

I honestly never truly thought about Christmas or realized it was such a major, deeply meaningful part of so many lives.  Gradually, as I grew older and became less insulated, the magical aspect of the holiday season became more apparent.  Our family expanded to a wonderful reality, a reality where different religions and backgrounds became a source of inspiration, pride and respect.   My son went with his girlfriend and her family to midnight mass last night.  Although his beliefs are different, he is able to appreciate the beauty and love that are behind these wonderful celebrations and they, in turn, welcomed his presence with joy.  My daughter will spend the day in Connecticut with her boyfriend’s mom, a warm, loving woman who has a heart as big as the world.  Widening our sphere of experience has made us all more compassionate and exceedingly more open to the beauty that is the reality of Christmas.   We now live as part of the experience, not separated from it.  I am truly appreciative of being included in the splendor of the season.

Today, my husband, my Mom and I will visit my brother’s house as we have done every year for the last four.  My sister-in-law is a wonderful woman, loving, fun, energetic.  As she is not Jewish, their home is beautifully decorated with Santa Clauses and a magnificent tree, tall, strong, and classic.  The fireplace will be burning bright and its warmth will welcome everyone.  We will open gifts together, some with green and red wrapping paper, some with blue and white paper, but all given with love and care.

My Dad’s birthday and Christmas are still one and the same.  My Dad is no longer with us, physically, but he is absolutely with us in our hearts.  I may not have celebrated the holiday of Christmas all those years growing up, but I do now realize that I was lucky to have the greatest Christmas present of all – on that special day, my Dad entered the world.  The love my Dad gave so freely every day, the support, laughter, generosity, caring – how lucky am I that he was my Dad?!  He was the greatest gift a girl could have, a protecting, loving father.

As we celebrate this special holiday, in 2011, I can appreciate the beauty and the love that come with the Christmas holiday and I realize that I celebrated those feelings all along. 

I love you Dad, Happy Birthday.

Merry Christmas to all ~ 

Monday, December 19, 2011

A Beautiful Season



It could truly be a beautiful season, a wonderful start to a new year. December is full of exclamations of peace on Earth, good will toward man, and miracles.  I suppose if the peace on Earth and good will toward man came true, it would be a miracle!

Chanukah, Kwanza and Christmas share many sentiments, pride in heritage, love of family/friends, and the joy found in community.  All religions, along with the simple golden-rule we learn in Kindergarten, share the belief that if you act thoughtfully, compassionately (do unto others) you will live peacefully and contentedly (as you would have them do unto you).  If only human beings would practice what we preach.

The lights that glow so brightly during this holiday season, whether as a single candle in a window, a blinking display outlining a home, the lighting of a seven-candle candelabrum, or the lights of a Menorah should all awaken us to the realization we are not only all the same but also we are all connected!  Each of us simply wants to live our lives, whether lasting one day or 100 years, in peace with healthy, happy loved ones.  Loved ones who have the ability to excel in whatever they sense as fulfilling their heart, their inner desire.  The traits we were taught on the playground, sharing, not hitting, listening to others, all of these qualities if exhibited by adults AFTER grade school, would certainly make this world a better place.

What if we shared the abundance that is opportunity, the chance for each and every one of us to thrive to our fullest potential? Why do some fight that simple idea?  Imagine, as John Lennon wrote, “all the people, living life in peace”.   Fairness, the belief that what is controllable in life, is fair, makes a world of difference.  Things happen in life that certainly are not fair; disease, accidents, disasters, I certainly could never even approach understanding why they happen. However, I can understand the frustration that arises when not being treated fairly in a controllable situation is someone’s reality.  Why should some people, simply because their families earned more money long before they were born, have access to the most amazing schools, healthcare, and education while simply due to the exact opposite circumstance, some do not have those opportunities.  Is that fair?  Is that controllable?  Of course it’s not fair and of course it is controllable.  Those who claim to be “pro-life”, where do you fall on this issue?  Should all children born be awarded the same “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”?

Last summer I was on a wonderful cruise with my family and friends.  At one point, we passed a luxury, executive suite.  It was then that I understood the meaning of we “are all in the same boat”.  They may have a better view, a larger place to stay, a bigger balcony, but if the ship sinks, they are going down right along with the rest of us.

We live in a world full of riches, full of brilliance, full of love and hope, and yet we squash it for so many and then act surprised and appalled when they react violently, angrily.  This is a season that could teach all of us so very much.  I see it every day in the retail store where I work.  There are so many good, truly good-hearted, well-intentioned, people.  They buy hundreds of dollars worth of toys for underprivileged children, yet, I wonder…if you asked these same people to raise their taxes $5 a month to provide education and food for these same children, would they fight it?  Would they call it Socialism?  Would they say that giving takes away the ambition and drive of these poor children?  Why is it okay to give them a game but not afford them the ability to survive and thrive in reality?  Why is one act of giving socialism and the other charity?  Is it the simple introduction of the government sharing this responsibility that makes it evil to some?  How else could this possibly be achieved?

If each person is afforded the opportunity to eat a balanced diet, obtain a well-rounded education and have a safe neighborhood, how can that possibly not help all of us?  We are only as strong as the weakest link.  One group feels oppressed and they blow up a building of innocents trying to better the lives of their families.  This unfair violence then results in those hurt retaliating, and the cycle continues.  It’s ridiculous and it has to stop.  In our hearts, we know better.  Instead of blowing each other up, why not build each other up?  It has to be cheaper and in truth, much more fun and rewarding.  It is also much more in keeping with the teachings of all the major religions and the golden rule.

This holiday season, no matter what or why you light your candles, I hope the glow of the flame warms all hearts and softens all attitudes. Giving the gift of opportunity and fairness will lead to peace on Earth and a happier existence for everyone.  Shouldn’t the quest for peace in our heart and world be what we strive for each and every moment of our brief existence? That realization in the hearts of all is the miracle I am hoping for this holiday.

Enjoy, be safe, be happy and remember; we are all in this thing together.

Happy Holidays!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Thinking about my Grandmother...



Memories of my Grandmother have been especially vivid these last few days.  This morning I woke with clear images and thoughts of her in my mind.  A few nights ago, my daughter had a dream where my Grandmother gave her a “thumbs-up” signal and then left. Perhaps her spirit is especially active at this moment for some reason. I don’t know why else thoughts of her would be so exceedingly vibrant at this time; it’s not her birthday, or any other ‘special’ day.  During any normal week I think of her often as there are numerous memories of her throughout my home; a needlepoint on my living room wall, an afghan on my den sofa, and a few of her dishes displayed from my wall-unit, but thoughts of her these last few days have been especially strong.

I wrote about my Grandmother a few months ago with my, “Never Accept a Rotten Tomato!” post.  In that post I described one of the many life lessens my Grandmother handed down, one that went way beyond the actual tomato.  In other posts, the value and importance of my Grandmother’s wisdom was an integral part of the stories my family tells during holiday meals.  But on a day-to-day basis, my Grandmother was so much more.

My Grandmother was an iron strong woman; yet she was always quick with a hug, a kiss, a laugh and a smile.  She was funny, yet it was always clear she would fight tooth and nail for her family.  She was a woman who raised two daughters, helped raise her niece when her sister’s husband unexpectedly passed away at a very young age and welcomed family to her home at any and all times.  She accomplished all of this during the years right after the Depression, when money was scarce and to get by you needed your wits and your intelligence.  She rarely went to synagogue, yet she wouldn’t sew on the Sabbath.  She called her Passover cake an Easter cake.  She always served bread with dinner.  She loved polka dots and could never pronounce turquoise, yet it was her favorite color.  She always had a "sour ball" or other hard candy in her purse.  My cousin and I would dance in circles to old Mickey Katz records, the Jewish record my Grandmother played often in her apartment.  We would laugh the day away when left by our Moms with my Grandmother for whatever reason.  We shared so many fun times in her small apartment on Rodney Street…so many fun times!

All through my life my Grandmother was a special resource.   She would be brutally honest if you asked for her opinion, and sometimes when you didn’t.  You would always get her thoughts straight out – no holds barred!  She gave me life lessons that emphasized the power of being a woman well before the feminist movement.  Although she never worked outside the home, she was always busy with her needlepoint, sewing, cooking, taking care of her Herman (my wonderful Grandfather) and directing everyone.  She would have made a wonderful boss.

One day, many years ago, while I was visiting my Mother in her apartment, my Grandfather called and told my Mom she was needed right away.  Apparently, my Grandmother was taking a bath and the heat of the water must have made her feel weak.  She couldn’t seem to lift herself out of the tub.  My Mom and I ran to the car and drove the 25 minutes to my Grandparents’ apartment.  In a matter of minutes, my Mom helped my Grandmother out of the tub.  After she was feeling stronger and better, we were sitting in the living room when it hit me, why didn’t my Grandfather just help her out of the tub?  When I asked the question, my Grandmother looked at me incredulously, I’ll never forget her expression of shock.  “He’s never seen me naked!”, she replied.  “Never?” I replied. “Never!”  I then remember saying, but you’ve been married over 60 years and you have two daughters!  She looked me straight in the eye and replied, “It was always dark”!  She went on to say since he never saw her naked when she was young, he certainly wasn’t going to get an eye full now!  Her good-natured honesty was palpable.  I just wanted to give her a big hug – I wish I could do so right now.

I remember another time watching television with my Grandmother in her apartment.  The show was about viewing the magnificent home of a particular movie star.  I remember my Grandmother saying to me what a waste the big home was.  After all, she said, “You can only be in one room, on one seat, at one time with one tuckas!”

After my Grandfather passed away, my Grandmother lived alone in her apartment until she passed away.  She was strong and vibrant, caring for others, even on that very last day of her life. I remember the day vividly.  My Mom had planned to go to her mother to help her, take her food shopping.  But, unfortunately, I came down with an awful stomach virus.  My children were very young at the time and I needed help getting them to and from school and just watching them in general.  My Mom told my Grandmother the situation and that she would go to her the next day.  My Grandmother was fine with that, which, when I look back, she could have been otherwise.

All through the day my Grandmother called to check-up on how I was feeling.  When my Mother left my house, my Grandmother called to speak to me so she could hear for herself how I was progressing.  I told her I was feeling better and thanked her for understanding that I needed my Mom to come to help me that day.  She told me, “Don’t be silly”, then she went on to tell me to be sure to drink ginger ale with crushed ice and maybe eat a few crackers.  She wanted me to take it easy and build my strength.  She let me know she was going to go downstairs in her apartment building later to play cards with her ‘lady friends’.  I knew that was special to her.  My Grandmother loved to play cards, 500 Rummy, Gin…. her specialties!  She taught my cousin and I all the card games we knew along with how to properly shuffle the deck.  I knew she was looking forward to her game that evening.  She told me she would call the next day to see how I was feeling and that if I needed my Mother again, not to worry.  With that, I told her I loved her and she told me she loved me.  Then, we hung up.  That was the last conversation I ever had with my Grandmother. 

On her way to play cards that evening, she collapsed and passed away.  As all through her life, she passed thinking of others while looking forward to something she loved to do.  Dealing with disappointment yet enjoying looking to the future right up until the very end.  You’re in my heart, Grandmom, thank you for your inspiration and love.  You’re strongly in my thoughts today and for whatever the reason, I am thankful.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Are Those MY Hands??



Brown, crunchy, dead leaves blew into the foyer this morning as I opened the door to walk my dog, Popcorn.  The leaves swirled as I watched them gracefully and arrogantly land throughout the entryway.  Popcorn needed to go out and wasn’t about to wait while I immediately swept them away, so off we went, postponing the inevitable clean up.

The brisk air was invigorating as it hit my cheeks.  My outlook was brightened and I felt content as Popcorn and I took our quick stroll.  After a few minutes, Popcorn was ready to return home.  His energy is waning, as he is now 14 years old.  As I opened the front door to go back into the house, more brittle leaves blew in, some caught in the doorway, some to Popcorn’s paws.  But, no matter, I thought, I had to clean the floor anyway.

After unhooking Popcorn’s leash and hanging it in the foyer closet along with my coat, I walked into the laundry room to get the broom.  I swept the foyer and only then did I notice some additional stains that needed a bit more muscle.  The leaves were now a thing of the past, so I wet a sponge and decided to spot clean the stains on the tile.  As I knelt down and began cleaning, I gasped…whose hands were these?

Dry, older hands were holding the sponge.  They couldn’t be mine, could they?  When did they get so old looking?  How could that happen without my realizing it?  I put my rings on every morning; do I not look?

I thought back to the Seinfeld episode where Jerry’s date has “man hands”.  He stopped dating her for those hands that made his stomach churn when she brushed an eyelash off his cheek.  What did people think when they saw my hands?  How can I reverse this?  Are there “hand lifts” like there are “face lifts”? Would I get the work done if it was even possible?  All these thoughts bounced around in my head as I methodically, robotically, moved from one tile to the next removing any random spots, my thoughts racing a mile a minute.

I am in my early 50’s.  I never really thought about aging before.  I know that might sound odd, but it’s true.  Of course I realize I’m not going to be mistaken for a young person and I realized that my age may not enable me to be as marketable in the job market as a younger person; but, I also never contemplated actually being an older person.  I am just me, the same me I always was, wasn’t I?

My foyer has never been so clean as I worked in a trance-like state.  Thoughts entered my mind that I never really dwelled on before.  I am getting older, that reality, not simply the taking it for granted, seeped in to my head.  I am aging, I am heading full speed ahead into my AARP years, and there is no turning back.  Will I age gracefully?  Will I be fortunate enough to keep my wits about me? 

Before I knew it, I had reached the point where the foyer tile met the den carpeting.  There were no more tiles left to scrub.  Not as easily as I would have liked, I worked myself into a standing position and went back to the laundry room to rinse the sponge. 

I climbed the stairs to my bedroom with stealth determination.  I remembered the woman at the cosmetic counter recently giving me a sample of anti-aging, hand cream.  A sample I had thoughtlessly placed in my night-table drawer, thinking that wasn’t for me, not yet.  Now, with unbridled determination, I rubbed the anti-aging hand cream deeply into every pore of my dry hands. 

I may not be as young as I used to be, but hopefully I’m not as old as I will grow to be.  And certainly, most definitely and defiantly, I won’t give up without a fight!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Morning Coffee, Morning Thoughts



It’s cold in the house this morning.  This December has been unusually warm so far.  I am not complaining; that’s for sure.  However, this morning is rainy and chilly and it happens to be an excellent morning to sit back and truly enjoy my steaming hot cup of coffee while I do what I love, write. 

As I sit here, appreciating the warmth of the coffee, I have a few minutes to reflect, a rarity, as most mornings require running around, getting things done and getting out of the house. 

Since I lost my job, my better paying job, life has changed.  I am lucky in that unlike others who have lost their jobs, mine was definitely secondary.  My husband pays most all of the bills and I only need to contribute a small amount which my part-time job covers.  I am also extremely thankful that healthcare is one of the benefits of his position.  I can’t imagine how anyone who was laid-off and doesn’t have those benefits, exists. 

I am also exceptionally lucky to have a wonderful friend as my manager.  My friend, who hired me “until you find something else”, which now happens to be over a year ago, is a considerate, intelligent woman. I enjoy working with her.  She’s energetic, thoughtful, and always pleasant.  She has a heart as big as the universe.  The store where we work is close to home and most customers, most, are happy and pleasant.  I am thankful.

But, life has definitely changed.  The vacations, clothes, cars, and just general day-to-day expenses are no longer purchased without great thought and deliberation.  For example, my daughter needs to update her laptop.  A few years ago, I would have simply purchased the MacBook Pro she truly needs without a second thought.  Now, it’s not that easy.

With the holidays just around the corner, both Chanukah and Christmas, I used to enjoy and look forward to shopping for everyone.  I would shop for just the right gift, a gift that would touch the heart of the recipient; I wouldn't give much thought to price. Just seeing the look of joy as someone special opened their gift was my selfish pleasure.  When I would see that light of “wow, you really do know me”, I would feel happy.  Now, that same shopping is frustrating.  I find what I know the person on my list would love, but just can’t buy it. 

With my situation being one of the luckier financial ones considering the plight of the unemployed, it’s no wonder the economy isn’t picking up as quickly as it could.  When I think of the millions of unemployed and under-employed people, people who were middle management, like me, who are now working for so much less, it’s not surprising that demand is down.  With people spending less, companies need to produce fewer items, to produce fewer items they need less employees and the cycle continues its downward spiral.

I suppose what this is leading me to is the fact that unless the economy is stimulated, unless money is pumped into the economy, into the hands of the average citizen, not removed from them; the long-term situation will not improve.  I resent being told by some that this is the time our government needs to cut back.  No, wrong!  When corporations are sitting on trillions of dollars of profit, not hiring, getting by without risking anything, keeping us down, this is the time for our government to spend. 

Ours is a government for and by the people.  The people need help.  Our government needs to remember that they represent the people, not the corporations.  For despite what some say, corporations are NOT people.  When GE needs a colonoscopy, let me know, until then, forget it.

I think I need a second cup of coffee………..

Have a great day~

Friday, December 2, 2011

There IS a Beautiful Holiday Spirit!




After a beautiful day-after-Thanksgiving, my family and I turned on the television in my son’s apartment and settled in to relax together.  The news was on and we watched in horror as clips of Black Friday shopping craziness blared into the room.  At two different Walmarts’, folks were shot or pepper sprayed by fellow customers looking to grab holiday specials.  At a Target, a man was dying on the ground after collapsing with a heart attack.  Instead of helping him, people literally walked over him in search of a discounted coffee maker or some other such item.  Is this what this holiday is all about?

I was brought up in a time when Black Friday started at a normal hour.  People who worked retail could spend Thanksgiving WITH their families.  They would then be rested and ready for the official start of the holiday shopping season.  Stores would advertise items that they had ENOUGH of, not crazy deals for the first 3 lunatics in line.  Shopping was fun then, and you didn’t have to wear a bulletproof vest, maybe just a pair of snow boots!

This holiday season with its beautiful decorations, a theme of “Peace on Earth”, “Good Will Toward Men”, will we choose to celebrate it injuring our fellow man over a toy?

Disheartened, we turned off the news and switched to the Travel Channel.  With relief, we watched Anthony Bourdain in Sardinia.  He was celebrating food and family in a magnificent part of the world where his wife was born.  It was calming and reassuring to see that sanity does still exist.

I returned to work a few days later.  I work in a retail store so I was a bit leery of what I would encounter.  As I stood behind the register, I watched carefully as our store filled with holiday shoppers.  Happily, they filled their shopping carts with toys, scarves, books and blankets.  I focused on their faces and was heartened to see so many smiles, a few people were actually singing along to the music playing in the store!  As each person approached the check out line, they looked excited about their choices!  Their happiness made me happy!

I originally assumed that most customers with large orders were buying for their own families, friends, and neighbors.  However, although many were, there was a huge contingent that was actually shopping for strangers, neighbors in need!  I can’t tell you mathematically the exact percentage of shoppers who were there purchasing gifts for others, people who otherwise would not be able to give and receive gifts, but I can tell you it wasn’t small. 

I love to speak to our customers as I am ringing up their purchases.  I enjoy learning what people think and feel about our store and life in general.  I was so very impressed this week when I heard story after story of people buying gifts to bring to the Children’s Hospital, to a family who lost everything in a fire, to a gentleman who lost his wife and who had children that were handicapped and needed so much, story after story filled the air. 

The holiday spirit IS alive.  Perhaps if the media carried more stories like the ones I hear each and every day instead of the horrors that occasionally happen but are truly small in number, maybe people would feel better about themselves and the world.  Maybe if we concentrated more on all the goodness that is around us, instead of the incidents of ugliness, maybe our hearts would be lighter, we would be more optimistic and smile more.

Honestly, being out among the shoppers, hearing their stories, seeing them willing to give with huge smiles on their faces, I know the Holiday Spirit IS alive!  I am writing this to be sure everyone hears THIS news ~ most people are good, caring, loving, and generous. It feels great to give, and it is certainly a blessing to be in a position to do so.
Happy Holidays everyone!  Let your heart be happy and please know that when we are good to one another, good happens for all!