Category: Somewhat Current Events

The Holidays are upon us

The long Thanksgiving weekend is over (mine started at noon Tuesday) and now it is time to move on.  To Christmas.

I want to say up front that I am not offended when a sales person (or anyone) says “Happy Holidays” to me.  The reasons are three-fold.

First of all, that person’s intention is not to be offensive but rather inclusive. S/he doesn’t know if I am Christian, Jewish, Agnostic or Atheist. During the weeks between the end of November and early January there are several holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa. (There are probably some Islamic holy days in this time period but I couldn’t find a list of 2012 dates. And since none of their holy days are heavy on gift giving, there’s no retail hype.) Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Twelve Days of Christmas, which occurs from December 25 to January 6.  Then there is Jerry Seinfeld’s “Festivus for the Rest of Us.”  (Joke)

So you see the person who says, “Happy Holidays” is just trying to include everyone who might be celebrating anything.  It’s the seasonal equivalent of “Have a nice day.”  No need for me to get my back up and reply, “Mind your own business, I’ll have whatever kind of day I want.”  It’s much more polite to say, “Right back atcha.”

Second, I don’t think the ones who give that greeting are “trying to take Christ out of Christmas.”  They can’t, by the way, and we do a pretty good job of that ourselves without any help from them.

Thirdly … I’m pretty sure Jesus doesn’t want the celebration of his birth to become a battleground or the center of a controversy over semantics. He is the personification of Grace, Peace and Love.  He says we should be nice to each other.

Charles Dickens let Scrooge say it well, “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”

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Happy Thanksgiving

Before adding this post I looked back to see what I had written on other Thanksgiving weekends. I was chagrined to find that in the three years I have had this blog, each year on the last week in November I have written about the Advent book I was currently editing, or the Christmas play in rehearsals.

Oh No!  I skipped Thanksgiving! I’m a Holiday Skipper!

In this space at least I have completely ignored the Thanksgiving traditions. I can’t imagine why because I love this holiday. I observe this holiday.  I have done no Christmas shopping, my house is decorated with my pilgrim candlesticks and bowls of fall leaves. Today I will cook and clean and tomorrow I will feast with family.

On Facebook several of my friends are participating in “30 Days of Thanksgiving” posting every day this month an expression of their gratitude for something in particular. This sort of reminds me of Sunday school classes where we were called on to tell something we were thankful for. This is harder than it sounds. The first kids would say parents and home and God and Jesus and the ones sitting on the second row were hard pressed to come up with something different. I would be able to do a much better job of that now than I did when I was ten.

I am thankful for God’s grace in my life; my parents who loved us and each other and made a Christian home for us; my five siblings who love and encourage me; my four children and the blessings they are to me; my grandchildren who are easily the most beautiful and bright and talented young adults in the world; my great-grandson expected to join us in January; all the in-laws and step-kids that make up our great extended family; a great cloud of witnesses who taught me in VBS, Sunday School, Methodist Youth Fellowship and prayer groups through the years; friends and church family; opportunities that have come my way; more possessions than I need; my sense of humor because honestly if I couldn’t laugh …

I don’t know if that’s 30. I could go on: I am thankful for my home, our country, my job, the people I work with and the time off to celebrate holidays. I am also thankful for beauty: art, music, literature, the world around us with the wonder and colors of the changing seasons.

I’m thankful for you, nice reader.

Have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving Day.

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Where in the Budget Does the Newspaper Go?

What line item in the budget takes care of the newspaper? Entertainment? Miscellaneous?  Is it a necessity or a luxury?

During National Newspaper Week earlier this month, I wrote about my enjoyment of a daily newspaper – spread on the kitchen table with a cup of coffee at hand.  Or curled up on the couch working the crossword puzzle.  Reading off a computer screen, sitting in an office chair is not nearly as much fun.

(When I hear ads about being able to watch movies on a phone I try to picture Gone With The Wind or Titanic on a 2’x2′ screen.  But I digress.)

There has been speculation for the past few years that hard copy newspapers would one day be a thing of the past. We will get our news from television or Internet (shudder).

Newsweek announced recently that beginning January 2013, that magazine will be available in an online format only.

Last week, I got a form letter telling me that the “state” paper is raising rates for home delivery $10.00 a month.  That’s a 62% increase! They gave all the rising-costs-poor-economy reasons.

This is sad. I know they will lose some subscribers over this. And when circulation goes down, advertising rates follow.  They may have shot themselves in the foot.

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Brimley for President

As anyone who has not been in a coma is aware, election year is upon us.  I am a good citizen and fully intend to vote and I’ve given a lot of thought to just who might be the person best suited to be the next president. Who stands for Liberty and justice? Who is The Natural one for the job?  The answer of course is Wilford Brimley.

I don’t know Mr. Brimley personally, but every time I see him in action he steps into the situation quickly and with confidence. Then sure enough, in a short time everything is made right. His ilk is in A League of Their Own.

Who better than he can take The Firm stand on health care issues? Who else will go In and Out with the Good Old Boys in our senate and Our House? All with Tender Mercies and Absence of Malice?

My Fellow Americans, Wilford Brimley can help this Country to shed the Cocoon of indifference and partisanship.

Stand up for change! Join the grassroots movement and support Wilford Brimley as a write-in candidate for President of the United States. It’s The Thing to do.

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For all the kids who tried to tell

The guests are arriving. The photographer has taken pictures of our parents. All is ready. Now, I need to decide if I’m going through with this or not.

The first strains of a classical melody drifted in from the sanctuary, the signal to Annie’s brothers to seat the guests. Her mother was putting the final touches on Cameron’s flower basket.

Annie frowned at the thought of her daughter. The five-year-old disliked Jeff but surely that was jealousy. Understandable for a young child suddenly having to share her mommy with someone new.

At first Cameron took to Jeff and he reciprocated, taking her on outings and buying her special toys. But as Annie and Jeff became closer, the child’s hostility grew. Her mother said Cameron was just spoiled.

In every other way, her relationship with Jeff was perfect. Annie could not believe she had found someone so caring. There had never been so much as a minor disagreement between them. Jeff brushed away every concern with a reasonable explanation … and a kiss.

Until last night. Right after the rehearsal dinner Annie’s maid of honor came to her with a story that was circulating.  Rumors of accusations by a member of Jeff’s soccer team.

Though it was late, Annie called him. They needed to talk about this. Again, he took her in his arms and calmed her.

“Don’t say you believe this!” he sounded incredulous. “She’s just a kid. Who believes a kid.”

Now sitting in the bride’s room at the church, her friends and family gathering upstairs, she realized it was at that moment she first thought of cancelling her wedding.

Who believes a kid? She’d heard those exact words before.

She was six or seven. Uncle Joe had taken all the kids on a nature walk. Everyone said how sweet that Joe loved children … what a pity he had none of his own. He let them away from the others at the picnic. Then he taught them the Touching Game. He called it a secret game. They all played until one little girl began to cry. Joe scolded her, calling her a baby. He said something terrible would happen if anyone told their secret. Then, he laughed. “Even if you tell, no one will believe you. Who believes a kid?”

In spite of Joe’s warning Annie had tried to tell. A week after the picnic, she said to her mother, “I don’t like Uncle Joe.”

“Of course you do. Uncle Joe is a kind man who loves children. He’s our blood relative and I don’t ever want to hear you say you don’t like one of your own kin.”

So, Annie didn’t speak of it again. Uncle Joe never came to another reunion. Annie had no idea why. Maybe one of the other children told. Maybe a grown-up listened.

Annie stared into the mirror with horror. What had she said to Cameron when the child told her she didn’t like Jeff? Was her daughter wanting to tell her more? Needing her to ask the right question, Why? Why doesn’t Cameron like Jeff?

She stood and ran from the room. Holding up the satin skirt, she took the stairs two at a time. She needed to find her daughter. And ask the question.

Excerpted from “The Right Question”, Everyday a New Day and other short stories. (c) 2006

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