Sending Greetings for the Holidays

Christmas is ten days from today (as I sit here typing).  One Christmas tradition I enjoy is sending and receiving Christmas cards.  In the years past I created my own cards for family, friends and acquaintances but the past year as well as this year I have not done so.  Last year I found some cute cards in a catalog.  One set of twelve cards had a little magnet that accompanied the card and the other set had a little recipe book of holiday treats.  After purchasing them, I found I had more than enough left over to use again for this year.  Being a veteran, I belong to veteran’s organizations.  One of the organizations sends out Christmas cards as a fund raiser.  This year I received some very lovely cards with matching envelopes.  They became my back-up set in case I did not have enough left from the previous year to send.  

I recall years ago, by this time in the season, I’d have a nice stack of cards received.  Some even with a letter detailing the sender’s year in review.  Yes, I too had done the year end letter, but like the creating my own cards, the year end letter has gone by the wayside.  The other day I had to pick up a few boxes of cards for a project for one of the veteran’s organizations which I belong.  These cards were to be signed ‘Santa & Mrs. Claus’ or Santa & Mrs. Santa’.  They are to be given out to nursing home veterans at a luncheon this week.  As I walked through the store, I found the cards with a sale sign to buy one box get the other box fifty percent off. 

 I wondered about this sale so early in the month.  Pondering this reason for such a sale before the fifteenth of December, I have come to a conclusion.  It seems people are sending less and less Christmas cards or not sending any at all.  Social media is how many send holiday greetings to family, friends and acquaintances.  E-cards sent via email, text messages, Twitter and Facebook has become the way of keeping in touch during the holiday season.  With the hustle and bustle of our lives, creating one text, one email, one posting to Facebook we now can wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Happy Holidays or Season’s Greetings via cyber space. 

I too have wished many a Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, Congratulations and words of condolence through social media; I still like to sit down, pen in hand, address book opened, Christmas music playing in the background and a cup of hot chocolate near and write out my cards.  Not only do I sign my name and my husband’s but I include a personal message to the receiver.

Until next time…..stores are having a sale on cards, why not pick up a box and return to the old fashion tradition of sending out to family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances.  Who knows, you may be bringing back an old tradition.  A card sent could mean a card received.  

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season to one and all
May you have a Merry Christmas and happy and healthy New Year. 

Thoughts for the Season

Since after Halloween movies about Christmas and the holidays have been on television.  To date, I have probably seen everyone twice, some maybe three times.  Each movie has the happy ending that leaves the viewer with a feeling of  joy inside.  A few of the movies makes one reach for a hankie to wipe away the tears; a few had the viewer laughing and yet some movies makes one ponder and think about the magic of the season.

Since after Thanksgiving, I have been reading Christmas and holiday themed stories.  Like the movies, they leave the reader with a feeling of happiness inside.

We all know these movies and stories are a work of fiction.  Everyday life is REAL; there are ups and downs; peaks and valleys; highs and lows; sunny skies and stormy weather.  Well you get the drift.  

The holidays can be a time of stress for everyone.  There are many facing hardships; many illness; many are alone; many estranged from family members.  Many will just by-pass the holiday season all together.  They will see it as just another day and not think about what this season means.  Christmas time is the season of hope, goodwill, peace and forgiveness.  We need to think long and hard about the true meaning of Christmas.  It is not the fancy bows and shiny ribbons, the colorful wrapping paper, the gifts under a beautiful evergreen tree.  It is more than greeting cards sent and received; more than the rush to the stores for the perfect gift.  Christmas is a time to reflect upon, as it is said, ’the reason for the season’.  

Christmas is a season with a message, meaning and spirit.

The message of the season……LOVE
The meaning of the season….PEACE
And the spirit of the season…..JOY

Until next time…..best wishes for a wonderful holiday season.  Merry Christmas to one and all.

Memories of Christmas Past

Everyone has a favorite Christmas story or perhaps two.  One I recall was from my earliest childhood memories.  At the time I was three years old.  All I wanted for Christmas was a Betsy Westy Doll.   The doll was unique at the time as when you put a bottle in her mouth, the liquid would go right through her body and out as if she peed her pants.  My doll had brown hair and I think a red color dress.  I was so excited that Santa brought me such a doll.  At the time, I was living with my maternal grandparents.  On Christmas morning, I saw Betsy under the tree with other toys Santa brought, but all I could think about was this special doll.  I hurried to feed her and low and behold she had wet her underpants.  Santa brought extra pairs for Betsy so I had no fear of her going without panties.  That morning, I was headed to church with my aunt and uncle.  My Sunday school class was to sing “Away in a Manger” at the church service.  Like all the other girls, I had brought my new doll to church with me.  It was time for our class to head up to sing, I handed my uncle Betsy and the bottle informing him it was time for her to be fed.  Being such the great guy he was, my uncle put the bottle of liquid into Betsy’s mouth; true to form, she peed out the liquid all over the new blue suit he wore.  My uncle let out a soft chuckle and others sitting around him seeing the scene, also chuckled. 

My class sang their song; I returned to my seat in the pew only to see the wet spot on my uncle’s suit coat.  All he said to me was “Betsy is full but she needs an underpants change when we get back home.”  

When you think about fond memories of the holidays, it is not the gifts that are under the tree, what is left in your stocking or how much food you consume or egg nog you drink, it is an unexpected act of goodwill.  My uncle’s act of feeding my doll because I asked, was such a sweet gesture.  In years to come, I came to realize this one little thing made that Christmas a wonderful memory.

During this time of year, we all should try to do an act or two of kindness for another.  Calling an elderly relative who lives out of town, just to say hello and how are you; asking a single parent friend or co-worker if you can do something such as watch their child or children so they can do some Christmas shopping; volunteering at a local soup kitchen; donating toys to a local toy drive; donating to a homeless shelter.  It is not how much you spend, the amount of time spent doing it, but the fact you are doing an act of goodwill and kindness.

Until next time….take a few moments from your busy holiday schedule with a cup of  hot chocolate, a glass of egg nog or some hot cider and remember a wonderful memory of a Christmas past.