On the Eighth Day ~

On the eighth day of Christmas I am going to move beyond my own space and go further afield. Today I am grateful for the men and women over the years and today who have committed themselves to military service and stepping into harm’s way. It has nothing to do with politics or whether one believes in the reason for sending them into harm’s way. The fact is, these young people are willing to go, to work, to commit themselves to defending their country when asked. For that I am grateful. 

I am also grateful for their families who (I hope) are part of the decision and who support them in all the ways military families do. Support our Troops needs to be more than a slogan. We need to give them our best because that is what they have given us. 

On the Seventh Day ~

On seventh day of Christmas I am grateful for the gift of new beginnings. Today is the big one of course: an entire new year in which to start over. I don’t believe in resolutions because they always seem to fail and I do like to have some intentions to be different, to change some things, to view the clean calendar slate with new eyes.

Our lives are filled with much smaller beginnings than the new year: births of babies, start of the school year, new business deals. Sometimes new beginnings come out of tragedy or sad events: the death of a parent, a spouse or a dearly loved friend. The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings.” Although we can not acknowledge it in the moment, as time passes, we realize changes and newness in our lives. 

And then there are those amazing folks who simply stop in a moment and change. Think of the smoker who suddenly says, “that was my last one” and quits cold turkey. Or those moments when we stop and say, “I will be grateful rather than resentful or angry” and everything starts over anew. 

On the whole, we think of new beginnings as a good time, a joyful time, a time to become better than we have been. May your new year be blessed with delightful and exciting change and may you find gratitude in and for it all. 

On the Sixth Day ~

On the sixth day of Christmas I am grateful for the gift of books, for all the ideas, stories, thoughts, dreams and possibilities that have been written down since the beginning of time. Humans have wanted to preserve and share their ideas ever since they drew their stories on the walls of caves. What an amazing invention writing when we created letters and an alphabet and symbols that meant the same thing to everybody. And then the printing press allowing masses of people to read for themselves the Bible, political pamphlets, and later on eye-opening books like Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. 

I think of the great library at Alexandria, unfortunately destroyed by fire. Our Library of Congress. Then I look at my little library, a wall of books in the den. Both great buildings and small holding those ideas and stories that make up human thought and history. Even my Kindle is becoming crowded. 

I am the book giving grandmother at Christmas. The grands know what they will receive. The only surprise are the titles. Some are old enough now that they prefer gift cards for their e-reading devices or for the book store so they may pick their own. The point is, I have loved the gift of books and reading all my life and have been helpful in inspiring a new generation to read. So many books, so little time. 

On the Fifth Day ~

On the fifth day of Christmas I am grateful for friends. At my age I have collected a lot of them over the years. Some dropped by the wayside because of moves or other ordinary circumstances. Some because our energies just didn’t match and long before I knew about such things, I knew I needed to free my space of their energy. Others have been around a long, long time, including one who is six months younger than I am and I like to say we’ve been friends since the day she was born. Our parents went to the same church and although she and I didn’t go to the same school, we saw each other every Sunday and at about age 8 or 9 when someone asked who was my best friend, I said Lynn. She heard that and knew it was right. To this day, no matter how much time has passed, we pick up where we left off, speaking as if we had spoken the day before. 

Dean and I are still in touch with a number of people from our elementary and high school classes. FaceBook has brought former students into my life in a way that is fun and delightful. My “kids” now have grands of their own and I am So Proud of all of them. Friends truly are a blessing. 

On the Fourth Day ~

On the 4th day of Christmas I am grateful for health. At almost 73, I am at the age when I start hearing of the death of school friends or seeing people dying at my age or younger. I know we all die. And ~ I am grateful for a hip replacement that has me in gym or hiking or snowshoeing; for supplements that keep me going without having to medicate too much. For the ancient art of acupuncture and its growing acceptance in the western community. When I had my hip replacement, I had a wide-ranging wellness team that included the very western practicing surgeon, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, hypnotism and physical therapy. Each one played and still plays a part in keeping my body strong and moving with ease and comfort. We are very blessed to have the wellness support we now have to help improve our quality of life. I still have many years of gratitude to live. 

On the Third Day ~

On the third day of Christmas, I am grateful for technology ~ mainly because it keeps me in touch with the family mentioned yesterday. Christmas Eve I was able to continue a long tradition of reading The Grinch and a family favorite, Giant Grummer’s Christmas, via Skype. All day Christmas day calls on cell phones, on Skype and on Face Time came through with the best of wishes and lots of love. And I even heard from a friend in Wales. Face Book brought greetings from friends around the world as they posted blessings and good wishes. 

On the Second Day . . .

On the second day of Christmas, I am grateful for family. This includes ancestors, aunts, uncles and grandparents who thought I was the most wonderful baby and child in the world. It includes cousins who were like brothers and sisters to me. Parents  - I was asked once what it was like to be raised by giants. Yes, they were very special people. 

It includes my adult core family: my wonderful first husband, Rex, who died 19 years ago last night. Our two daughters of whom I cannot be more proud. And now their delightful spouses and children. 

It includes my wonderful second husband, Dean, whose family welcomed me and allowed me to be Mama Susan to their children. And it includes 12 1/2 grandchildren ranging in age from 25 to arriving in February. Everyone of them is so special to me and I am so thrilled to be sharing in their lives.