Santa is Real…
24 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment
in Random Ramblings Tags: blood, community, donate, giving, Holiday, Red Cross, Santa, time, Volunteer
Over the years there have been many tales told of Santa Claus. Stories about the magic and wonder that surround the holiday season. The Santa in the stories gives toys and spreads good cheer. He is full of laughter and all things magical.
As a mother of 5 I have answered the question ” Is Santa real?” several times. As my children grow into young ladies, they have all gone through the transition of a childish belief in magic and fairy tales to an understanding of adult-like reality. The reality that magic only happens when we make it happen. So my answer to the question has always been “Yes. Santa is real. YOU are Santa.”
We keep the spirit and magic of Santa a reality by sharing and giving to others. As each year passes and holidays come and go I always look for ways that I can be Santa in my community. By coming up with ways to include our children we teach them to keep the magic alive as well. Just this past week my littlest angel volunteered her time to sort Holiday Cards for Heroes at our local Red Cross. It was such a wonderful thing to watch as she and 12 other volunteers made a difference in the lives of 2000 soldiers as they got the cards ready to send to soldiers who may not be in the most festive of situations this year.
Being a part of a volunteer organization is a great way to be Santa in your community. If there is one thing that I would wish for all my fellow humans it is that each and every one of you find that warm fuzzy, magical feeling, that comes from sharing kindness with others. Try it…you will see it’s as addicting as the spiked egg nog.
Happy Santa Season to you all…may the new year bring you peace and courage to make positive changes in your lives and those lives that surround you.
Making memories…one tree at a time.
15 Dec 2010 4 Comments
in Random Ramblings Tags: Charlie Brown Tree, Christmas, decoration, Holiday, scrooge, Xmas
The boy Nigel and I have been married for 3 years. This is our 4th Xmas season together and this is our first tree!
This time of year has been a source of irritation to us both as we come from icky backgrounds full of bad memories. Let’s just say we both have been carrying some pretty nasty baggage and it somehow invaded our festiveness. Each year getting worse than the last.
Last year after a particularly grinch filled Xmas, I threw out the tree. The one that I bought with my ex-husband long ago. The one that held memories of “the dark time” as I like to call it. I was done. The new hubby was a crank from his own bad memories and it was time for the whole thing to go.
By “the whole thing” I mean the entire season. We were opting out of future holiday’s and we threw it all out with the tree. We’re not religious and don’t do traditional Santa so what was the point right? It’s not about gifts or the music, though I do love me some Manheim Steamroller.
Oh… crap, that’s right, we have kids and family that do participate in this time of year. Ok, so maybe we just need to rethink this, and we did. Not we really, the credit all goes to the boy Nigel. It was his thoughts that prompted the whole new beginning.
Driving in the car last week, he looks over and says something along the lines of “Wow, I’m a real scrooge aren’t I?” I’m silent as he continues. What he said next made me cry. He said ” I don’t want our kids looking back on this time in their lives and thinking that Nige came along and ruined Christmas, and all they remember is the grumpy step-dad that made things miserable.”
At that point it was all crystal clear to me. It’s not about what you celebrate or why. It’s not about how big your tree is or how many gifts are under it on Christmas morning. It’s about the memories. It’s about things like the smell of cedar trees for me and the cheese and summer sausage tray my grandma used to make. It’s about the hugs and kisses and the decorating of the tree. Together. It’s about being with the ones you love and making memories. It should never have felt like anything else and for that I am sorry. Sorry to my family for letting the Scrooge of my past invade my heart and push out the things that I already knew.
So this is our first tree. Our first holiday celebrating, not the birth of Christ, not Santa and the elves, not presents or praise. No, this year we celebrate being together and making memories. With our first new memory being that we made this Charlie Brown Tree. Together.
