WEBSTER'S DEFINES THE WORD SIMPLY...........'SOMETHING THAT IS GIVEN'.
WITH THE HOLIDAY SEASON JUST PASSED, IT SEEMS AN TOPIC EASILY BROUGHT TO MIND.
OURS WAS A SWEET CHRISTMAS.
AFTER MANY SPENT FAR FROM HOME AND/OR IN ILL HEALTH, WHAT JOY WAS MINE IN HAVING MOST OF MY BROOD PILED UNDER OUR SMALL ROOF. THERE IS NOTHING SWEETER TO THESE EARS THAN THE BUSY SOUNDS, BAWDY JOKES, AND FAMILIAR LAUGHTER OF THOSE I HELPED BRING INTO THIS WORLD. WITH OUR BEDROOM JUST OF THE KITCHEN, MY RESTING TIMES WERE FILLED WITH SUCH MUSIC. THESE ARE THE CAROLS OF THE SEASON THAT FILL MY REMEMBERINGS.
GIFTS WERE PLENTY AND HEART FELT. TOOLS AND CLOTHING FOR WORK, LONGED FOR HOBBY MATERIALS, FUN STUFF DESIGNED TO REMIND US ALL THAT 'YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD'........AND THE LOVINGLY CRAFTED, HAND-MADE GIFTS THAT ARE PART OF WHO WE ARE AS A FAMILY.
...................AND TWO SIMPLE CANDY CANES.
THE EARLY MORNING ACTIVITIES HAD DIED DOWN.....AND A LAST MINUTE TRIP TO THE STORE WAS NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.
AS I FINISHED PULLING ON MY SHOES AND THROUGH A JACKET ON OVER MY P.J.S, I GRABBED A COUPLE OF CANDY CANES, TIED WITH RED RIBBONS, FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE. " A SNACK FOR THE ROAD?" SOMEONE ASKED. NO, I TOLD THEM BUT I FIGURED ANYONE WORKING A CONVENIENCE STORE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING DESERVED A 'LITTLE SOMETHING'.......AND HEADED OUT THE DOOR.
THE CLOSEST LITTLE STORE WAS CLOSED, SO I CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD KNOWING I WOULD FIND SOMETHING OPEN.
SEVERAL BLOCKS LATER, I FOUND MY DESTINATION BUT TOO LATE TO MAKE THE TURN INTO THEIR LOT SO I PULLED UP TO THE NEXT LIGHT TO CIRCLE BACK.
AS I SAT WAITING FOR THE LIGHT, I NOTICED TWO MEN PASSING ON THE SIDEWALK.....THEN, THE CANDY CANES ON THE CAR SEAT. I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW AND MOTIONED THEM OVER.
RETICENT AT FIRST, THEY EVENTUALLY WHEELED THEIR GROCERY CART AND BICYCLE OVER TO THE CAR.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, GENTLEMEN !" I SAID WITH A SMILE, HOLDING THE RIBBONED TREATS OUT TO THEM.
"MAM, YOU ARE OUR ANGEL SENT FROM HEAVEN.." ONE SAID WITH A TOOTHLESS GRIN, "AND AN ANSWER TO PRAYER." SAID THE OTHER.
I WAS TAKEN ABACK......... THEY EXPLAINED THEIR WORDS
.
THEY HAD JUST BEEN DISCUSSING HOW HARD IT WAS AT CHRISTMAS TIME NOT TO BE REMEMBERED BY SOMEONE WHO CARED. ONE HAD REMINDED THE OTHER THAT GOD WAS FAITHFUL AND, NOT TO FEAR, THERE WOULD BE A GIFT FOR EACH OF THEM BEFORE THE DAY WAS OVER................JUST THEN, I HAD HONKED AND WAIVED THEM OVER.
FOR A MOMENT... MY ORIGINAL MISSION WAS FORGOTTEN. MY HEART SWELLED, TEARS FILLED MY EYES AND WITH ALL THE WARM CELEBRATION AND IT'S TRAPPINGS THAT WAITED FOR ME AT HOME, I KNEW, THAT FOR THAT MOMENT IN TIME, I WAS IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT PLACE.....WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
.
TWO STRANGERS, TWO CANDY CANES, AND THREE LIVES.......TOUCHED FOREVER.
THE SIMPLEST OF 'GIFTS' WITH ONE SIMPLE MESSAGE-----YOU ARE OF VALUE.
THE GIVING OF GIFTS HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE TIME BEGAN. IT COMES SO NATURALLY TO YOUNG CHILDREN. MOST OF US HAVE KNOWN THE JOY OF A HANDPICKED BOUQUET PRESENTED BY GRUBBY HANDS--- TOPPED WITH A SWEET SMILE AND BUTTON NOSE SMUDGED WITH 'DANDELION BUTTER'.
SOMETIMES THE PROCESS OF GIFT GIVING TAKES TIME, SOMETIMES, THE SAVING OF HARD EARNED MONEY. BUT SOMETIMES... ONLY A SPLIT SECOND DECISION TO LISTEN TO ONES HEART AND TAKE ACTION.................
ONE THING IS CERTAIN. WE ALL LIVE LIVES OF ABUNDANCE OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER AND THE RESULTS OF A LIFE WILLING TO 'GIFT' FROM SUCH ABUNDANCE SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
___________________________________________________________________________
MORE GIFTS...........
WITH THE HOLIDAY SEASON JUST PASSED, IT SEEMS AN TOPIC EASILY BROUGHT TO MIND.
OURS WAS A SWEET CHRISTMAS.
AFTER MANY SPENT FAR FROM HOME AND/OR IN ILL HEALTH, WHAT JOY WAS MINE IN HAVING MOST OF MY BROOD PILED UNDER OUR SMALL ROOF. THERE IS NOTHING SWEETER TO THESE EARS THAN THE BUSY SOUNDS, BAWDY JOKES, AND FAMILIAR LAUGHTER OF THOSE I HELPED BRING INTO THIS WORLD. WITH OUR BEDROOM JUST OF THE KITCHEN, MY RESTING TIMES WERE FILLED WITH SUCH MUSIC. THESE ARE THE CAROLS OF THE SEASON THAT FILL MY REMEMBERINGS.
GIFTS WERE PLENTY AND HEART FELT. TOOLS AND CLOTHING FOR WORK, LONGED FOR HOBBY MATERIALS, FUN STUFF DESIGNED TO REMIND US ALL THAT 'YOU'RE NEVER TOO OLD'........AND THE LOVINGLY CRAFTED, HAND-MADE GIFTS THAT ARE PART OF WHO WE ARE AS A FAMILY.
...................AND TWO SIMPLE CANDY CANES.
THE EARLY MORNING ACTIVITIES HAD DIED DOWN.....AND A LAST MINUTE TRIP TO THE STORE WAS NEEDED TO PREPARE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.
AS I FINISHED PULLING ON MY SHOES AND THROUGH A JACKET ON OVER MY P.J.S, I GRABBED A COUPLE OF CANDY CANES, TIED WITH RED RIBBONS, FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE. " A SNACK FOR THE ROAD?" SOMEONE ASKED. NO, I TOLD THEM BUT I FIGURED ANYONE WORKING A CONVENIENCE STORE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING DESERVED A 'LITTLE SOMETHING'.......AND HEADED OUT THE DOOR.
THE CLOSEST LITTLE STORE WAS CLOSED, SO I CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD KNOWING I WOULD FIND SOMETHING OPEN.
SEVERAL BLOCKS LATER, I FOUND MY DESTINATION BUT TOO LATE TO MAKE THE TURN INTO THEIR LOT SO I PULLED UP TO THE NEXT LIGHT TO CIRCLE BACK.
AS I SAT WAITING FOR THE LIGHT, I NOTICED TWO MEN PASSING ON THE SIDEWALK.....THEN, THE CANDY CANES ON THE CAR SEAT. I ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW AND MOTIONED THEM OVER.
RETICENT AT FIRST, THEY EVENTUALLY WHEELED THEIR GROCERY CART AND BICYCLE OVER TO THE CAR.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, GENTLEMEN !" I SAID WITH A SMILE, HOLDING THE RIBBONED TREATS OUT TO THEM.
"MAM, YOU ARE OUR ANGEL SENT FROM HEAVEN.." ONE SAID WITH A TOOTHLESS GRIN, "AND AN ANSWER TO PRAYER." SAID THE OTHER.
I WAS TAKEN ABACK......... THEY EXPLAINED THEIR WORDS
.
THEY HAD JUST BEEN DISCUSSING HOW HARD IT WAS AT CHRISTMAS TIME NOT TO BE REMEMBERED BY SOMEONE WHO CARED. ONE HAD REMINDED THE OTHER THAT GOD WAS FAITHFUL AND, NOT TO FEAR, THERE WOULD BE A GIFT FOR EACH OF THEM BEFORE THE DAY WAS OVER................JUST THEN, I HAD HONKED AND WAIVED THEM OVER.
FOR A MOMENT... MY ORIGINAL MISSION WAS FORGOTTEN. MY HEART SWELLED, TEARS FILLED MY EYES AND WITH ALL THE WARM CELEBRATION AND IT'S TRAPPINGS THAT WAITED FOR ME AT HOME, I KNEW, THAT FOR THAT MOMENT IN TIME, I WAS IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT PLACE.....WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
.
TWO STRANGERS, TWO CANDY CANES, AND THREE LIVES.......TOUCHED FOREVER.
THE SIMPLEST OF 'GIFTS' WITH ONE SIMPLE MESSAGE-----YOU ARE OF VALUE.
THE GIVING OF GIFTS HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE TIME BEGAN. IT COMES SO NATURALLY TO YOUNG CHILDREN. MOST OF US HAVE KNOWN THE JOY OF A HANDPICKED BOUQUET PRESENTED BY GRUBBY HANDS--- TOPPED WITH A SWEET SMILE AND BUTTON NOSE SMUDGED WITH 'DANDELION BUTTER'.
SOMETIMES THE PROCESS OF GIFT GIVING TAKES TIME, SOMETIMES, THE SAVING OF HARD EARNED MONEY. BUT SOMETIMES... ONLY A SPLIT SECOND DECISION TO LISTEN TO ONES HEART AND TAKE ACTION.................
ONE THING IS CERTAIN. WE ALL LIVE LIVES OF ABUNDANCE OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER AND THE RESULTS OF A LIFE WILLING TO 'GIFT' FROM SUCH ABUNDANCE SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
___________________________________________________________________________
MORE GIFTS...........
IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT .....
NOT A HEAVY BLANKET
LIKE HEAVY WINTERS DO.
MORE LIKE A LAMB JUST AFTER BIRTH
OR NEWLY SHORN EWE.
MID-WINTER GRASS LAYS STRUGGLING
TO PEAK IT'S SKINNY HEAD
THROUGH THE CRUST OF FALLEN SNOW
LIKE CHILD'S EYES FROM A BED.
ALL'S NOT WHITE, LIKE SOMETIMES IS
WHEN SNOW HAS COME TO CALL,
BUT MORE PRECISE, LIKE ARTISAN
APPLIED A BRUSH OR AWL.
PLACING EDGES ON THE YARD
AND MARKING ASPHALT'S PLAN.
ALL QUITE CLEAR AND VISIBLE-
DONE BY QUICK, DEFT HAND.
SOMETIMES MY HEART LONGS FOR SNOW
-IT USUALLY COMES AS RAIN.
BUT TAKE IT, I DO WILLINGLY
KNOWING ONCE AGAIN......
WHAT I LONG FOR MOST OF ALL
DOESN'T ALWAYS COME
JUST WHEN I THINK IT'S NEEDED MOST
BUT WHEN NEEDED WORK IS DONE.
ONLY THEN THESE HEART'S DESIRES
ARE GENEROUSLY GIVEN
BY ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT'S BEST FOR ME
TO LIVE THIS LIFE I'M GIVEN.
GIFTS........THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING .
G.H.M.
My Dear GHM;
ReplyDeleteStarting a blog? That's brilliant of you! Writing everyday?
xo
Chele
I stop by every now and again just to see what's up with life - as seen through your eyes. What you write is beautiful and SO ____________. Well, so much like your family it hurts to remember the one that's gone.
ReplyDeletePlease keep writing.
cfm.