Twas the night before Christmas as I
sat in my home,
which was finally as quiet as any old
tomb.
The cookies were eaten, the milk fully
gone,
the snoring from sleeping family a
friendly buzz-saw.
The children were passed out, after a
huge sugar high
while images of iPods sat in their sleepy
eye.
Hubby in bed already and I on the
chair,
were settled in at long last, no longer
aware.
When all of a sudden, there I thought
for a moment.
What better a night for love and
atonement!
Away to my 'puter I raced that right
minute,
To see if I had the words and a way to
spin it.
Then I realized no spin was needed, the
truth should be had.
The clarity of honesty would be this
day's badge.
The first item of business was how to
forgive
the people whose words have hurt how I
live.
With a deep breath and a really deep
sigh,
I did relieve myself of that pain
inside.
The next words to ponder were how to
live right,
to show my children love's power and
might.
To lead by example, to show more than
words,
to help, to live, to strive to be good.
To make every day end as well as it
began,
and hold every moment in the palm of my
hand,
As the winds break just before the
storm,
and the silence that comes is cause for
alarm,
so I had a moment of stillness just
then
I realized so much had I to do, but
when?
Each idea and desire to share with the
world
came gnawing and proving to just sound
absurd.
As I started to struggle with just what
to do
I realized that others probably felt
that way, too.
We all fear rejection, silence, and pain,
but without them their opposite would
have no name.
Family and friends cause both love and
hurt,
and neither is wrong nor can be
returned.
Their laughter is catching, their
sadness so raw!
Their details so trying, their
bloodline yet law.
I try to show my children these folks
are our world,
For better or worse, though they cause
our toes to curl.
There is nothing an iPod has over a
friend,
or anything a Beyblade has to offer
better than
the love of a family member who has
watched you grow,
or the support of a friend that you've
learned to know.
They are the real gifts, the real
presents today,
despite what Hallmark and Toys R Us may
say.
There may be cries of pain over
mis-sent gifts,
ones that are cheesy or simply don't
fit.
I will be the first one to remind them
how lucky we are
to have friends and family send
anything from afar.
We are truly privileged to live such a
life
where we have so much over which to
smile or sigh.
But for my children whose toys will probably end
up broken,
I save for them this one last small
token.
Be the best that you can for all those
you meet,
for it is them and their relationships
that make our lives sweet.
*****************************************************
Merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy
Hanukkah, happy Kwanzaa,
merry Santa Lucia Day, etc.
It is not so much WHAT you celebrate,
but how...and I hope, for all, it's
with an open heart and an open hand.
