Chapel of Hope Stories

(Kelly Rae Roberts)

Dear Reader:

Isn’t that an interesting question? There is a lot of debate about who actually said the original quote…but it goes like this: “Ask yourself what makes you come alive and do that…because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” (Howard Thurman…maybe?)

As the old year wanes and 2018 draws nearer I think this is a question we all need to be able to answer…because we all need to know where our inner passion lies…what makes us feel more like the real us than at any other time.

My two passions are storytelling and writing. Every time I tell a story…I feel myself ‘coming alive.’ I get excited about the gift of a story I am able to give. Or on a day when the blog just comes together…the right words spew out at the right time…or the right story or quote appears to cement the message…I am on quite a high.

When I used to present social studies and/or storytelling workshops for the district and later state department (traveling to just about every county in the state)…I left each workshop feeling good about what I had done to help social studies teachers discover the connection of stories to history. When my Berkeley co-hort Carol Poole was with me, which was most of the time, we would both be in such a high after a presentation that we would chatter and laugh all the way home from wherever we had gone.

It is the gift of giving back, using whatever God-given talents we have received, that makes us feel that our lives are important and that we have been given a role to play. We have a sense of fulfillment that we don’t have otherwise…the ultimate “high”… with no artificial drugs needed.

And now these days… being a grandmother…the role of simply being able to love unconditionally again is fulfilling my cup of life to the brim.

I didn’t mention this in an earlier blog but something so sweet happened at the Christmas Eve Service.

When John, Mandy, Eva Cate, and Jakie arrived at church…they ended up sitting on the front row, like the rest of us, but one aisle across. Jakie wanted to sit with me on my lap and did so until it came time for me to tell my story and then John picked him up to hold him.

Jakie held his arms out to me as I left to go tell the story. When I got back John continued to hold him but Jakie stretched out his arm and hand as I stretched out mine. We held hands for probably six or seven minutes… never letting go once across the aisle. It was such a sweet gesture that I found myself not wanting to let go and neither would Jakie…a Christmas carol finally broke the bond when we all stood up to sing…but it is one of the sweetest memories of Christmas 2017.

During those few magical minutes we held hands across the aisle….as a grandmother… I felt so connected to this child who was supposed to be born in October but decided to choose my birthday (9/24) to arrive…There is just something extra special there.

I found this picture of us together for Jakie’s first Christmas (3 years ago)….my hand was  wrapped due to lymphedema and the physical therapy treatments that I was undergoing three times a week at St. Francis Bon Secours at that time.

 As our year ends together again…I am taken back to my special word for 2017…it was “listen.” Do you remember yours…and has anyone had an interesting situation arise from your chosen word that you would be willing to share with us from this past year? If so, I would love to hear the personal experience/story surrounding your “chosen word.” What have you learned?

From my word “Listen” I now better understand the analogy and connection between listening and learning…we can’t learn if we can’t listen…it is just that simple. I can write a new blog everyday from simply stopping and listening to the thoughts of others as I go through my daily life.  

My year of listening is best summed up with this Christmas song…one of my favorites. “Do you hear what I hear?”

*If you have never thought much about the lyrics …listen closely this time as Johnny Mathis sings this beautiful Christmas song. It teaches us the importance of listening because if anyone in the chain of events (in the song) that first Christmas had not been listening…the Word would not have scattered to the corners of the earth.

First the Night Wind tells the Little Lamb to see what it sees…a star with a tail as big as a kite. 

Then the Little Lamb tells the Shepherd Boy to hear what it hears…a song with voices as big as a sea

The Shepherd Boy goes to the Mighty King….to let him know what he knows in his warm palace that night…that there is a Child shivering in the cold…and the King should go take him silver and gold. 

The King then asks the people everywhere to listen to what he says…to pray for peace everywhere and that the Child sleeping that night will bring everyone goodness and light. 

Johnny Mathis – Do You Hear What I Hear – YouTube

A beautiful way to start or end the day…

So until tomorrow…Let us always remember to pause and listen to others and our Creator for therein lies the clues (goodness and light) to our path back home.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

The cold is settling into the lowcountry… Yesterday was chilly and overcast. Along with the new cold weather front the calm remains…It has only been the ‘bright’ that has dimmed somewhat among the clouds…

Some people had to return to work yesterday and get back into the routine while others were traveling back home the day after Christmas. Families visiting over Christmas were heading back to reality and for our British friends they added another holiday to go shopping for more sales… Boxing Day (which has nothing to do with the sport of “boxing.”)

(A short history) December 26, 2017

A ‘Christmas Box’ in Britain is a name for a Christmas present.
Boxing Day was traditionally a day off for servants and the day when they received a  ‘Christmas Box’ from the master. The servants would also go home on Boxing Day to give ‘Christmas Boxes’ to their families.

A box to collect money for the poor was traditionally placed in churches on Christmas day and opened the next day – Boxing Day.
Great sailing ships when setting sail would have a sealed box containing money on board for good luck. Were the voyage a success, the box was given to a priest, opened at Christmas and the contents then given to the poor.

In England and Ireland…the day after Christmas… the gifts keep coming or going depending on what side of the giving/receiving line one is on.

For me this year the day after Christmas was a calm day. Ben left mid-morning and I picked up a little bit and straightened up a little bit and then took a nap for a little bit. With the cold, overcast skies it was a perfect day for lounging in front of the fire with a bowl of soup.

At the stage of life I am in now…I think my traditional name for the day after Christmas should be called: Memory Musings. A “PJ” day for resting and recalling all the memories of Christmas 2017. It is also the day to go back through gifts received and play the game Memory … matching up gifts to gift-givers before you forget and lose the gift tag.

It was the perfect day for stories…like the story of the good deed of King Wenceslas on the Feast of St. Stephen. (Also celebrated on December 26)

The good king looked out and saw a poverty-stricken man gathering wood against the bitter cold. The king decided to bring food and fuel to the poor man and called his young servant to help. 

Page and monarch went forth, but before long, the young page began to languish in the cold and came close to dying. King Wenceslas told the boy to step in his footsteps, and warmth radiated up through them to save his life. ( Excerpt from All I Really Want -Caldwell) 

So until tomorrow…Father, let us stop in our daily lives to look out the window and see the needy people who could use  a hand. Then let us tread in Your footsteps…bringing comfort, warmth and joy to others.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Today (December 27) is my grandmother’s birthday (Mary Ellen Seawright)…She is the same grandmother whom I have mentioned in the blog many times. She really did help keep us afloat after daddy died and mother lost her hand. Grandmother Wilson reached out her hands to us.

She was born in Due West, South Carolina, attended Erskine when it was a women’s college, graduating in 1902. She then became a teacher until she married my grandfather, Charlie Wilson, a cotton farmer.

Though they were never monetarily rich…The Wilsons sent all four children to college…an amazing feat back then….What a gift for the twin boys, Uncles Herschel and Harlette, then my Aunt Eva and finally my mother. Pioneer stock and the wisdom of a schoolteacher/ mother who knew the importance of sacrifice for education…at a time when most women still weren’t educated…just the sons.

Herschel, Harlette, and Eva all graduated from the Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC. Mother, being the youngest, and most rebellious wanted to get as far away from the farm as possible and so she attended Winthrop College in Rock Hill…her first taste of freedom.

*I am happy to report that Hoshmakaka, the camel’s story, did help one of our blog readers over Christmas…Nancyjean Nettles. I think we can all relate to this dilemma. Thanks for sharing Nancyjean!

Oh, Becky, this was just perfect! We ended up having 34 scheduled for Christmas dinner, and I was in a panic – and my back hurt & i’d sprained my thumb – and I sounded just like Hoshomakaka! Dewey kept saying, “It will all work out,” and of course, it did. All it took was for family to arrive, and my worries slipped away. Perfection wasn’t needed – just love for each other and “the reason for the season.”
Sending you love today and always!

Dear Reader:

When lunch was finished at Doodle’s house yesterday…an (almost planned-sounding) sigh escaped everyone’s lips. Gluttony, for one day of the year, feels so good, doesn’t it! (We just finished the main meal…all those delectable goodies on the table in the title picture were yet to be consumed.)

Doodle had “Three Trees” of goodies she created. I told her in her parallel life…she must have been in construction. Here I have been reading Louise Penny mysteries …all set in “Three Pines” and Doodle had three luscious trees of candies…marshmellow, candy mints, and gum drops!

I think  a sigh of contentment passes through everyone’s lips at the end of the day Christmas. We did it…all the presents, food, meals, desserts and crowds are over for another year. It is wonderful while it lasts, but secretly we all admit we couldn’t take too much of Christmas festivities…for too long.

Everything is in a “maxed out” state …amplified to a higher level…kinda like staying on the carousel too long and the magic disappears. There is a reason for the short rides…so you will want to return again and again.

Speaking of short rides…Mollie and Walsh made a short ride to East Cooper Hospital yesterday. Mollie started feeling badly around mid-morning and decided it would be a good idea just to get checked out. It ended up she was kept for about four or five hours…but Eloise wasn’t ready to come yet. This was obviously disappointing but I reminded them that all these minor frustrations will disappear from memory in the years to come and only the joy of Eloise’s birth will remain.

While away…Uncle Tommy and Aunt Kaitlyn took care of the boys and then took care of some more canine boys. Great job!

Christmas Eve and Christmas brunch…

Everything was so delicious at John and Mandy’s family gathering…Thanks again for the Christmas brunch dear family. There have been two sighs of contentment today…at John and Mandy’s house and Doodle’s…a “two sigher” day…we know it is Christmas.

So until tomorrow…Please keep Mollie in your thoughts and prayers (with a hope) that Eloise is getting closer to arriving.

I hope that there were lots of sighs of contentment at your house yesterday…family, friends, and food. A day to just enjoy…a time to reflect, and re-group for the upcoming new year.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Dear Reader:

I came to the conclusion many years ago…that I don’t choose the Christmas Eve story…the story chooses me. This is definitely true this year of all years. I had one story selected since last Christmas for this Christmas but (again) in cleaning out my “library” I found this book and knew it fit my present situation perfectly …and, I suspect, probably many of your similiar situations too.

Anne found the book in a garage sale probably around eight years ago…or close to that. I remember telling it to the children at the Children’s Christmas Eve service that first year…but it has been just sitting on the shelf since then.

You already know that I went through a series of “black cloudy” days before Thanksgiving where everything in my house and car seemed to break down at once. (new commode, oven, car repairs, etc.)

The expression “It is the last straw that break’s the camel’s back” describes a seemingly routine action that goes on to cause an unpredictably large and sudden reaction…the culmination of all the earlier smaller problems. Today we refer to this frustrating situation as “the last straw.”

So as I pulled this book off the shelf several weeks ago…I had to laugh. Perfect! (Me and Hoshmakaka, the camel, have been in the same boat with bad luck. This would be the story, the lesson, the message needed for this Christmas Eve. A reminder I, certainly, needed to hear again.)

Adaptation of the story “The Last Straw” by Fredrick Thurry

Once upon a time there was a camel named Hoshmakaka. One night he was asleep in the desert  dreaming about all the water in the world and how he, alone, would be able to hold it in his hump. Suddenly he heard voices… seemingly coming from the rolling sands…calling his name. 

Now Hoshmakaka was getting on up in age and was pretty grumpy most days and nights…especially about being awakened from his most deserved rest. Quite irritated, he slowly opened one eye and yawned…he didn’t see anyone but now he heard the voices again. 

“You are the chosen one. You will carry gifts to a baby king. You will carry frankincense, myrrh, and gold. The wise men have chosen you.”

“Me?” said Hoshmakaka in a puzzled voice. “If these men are so wise…then surely they must know about my joints? My gout? And don’t even get me started talking about my sciatica.”

Hoshmakaka then continued ” Even if I wasn’t down in the back…I can’t go anywhere now…I have plans. There is the water drinking contest next week in Beemish and the cud-chewing convention is just around the corner… coming up soon”…

The winds blew furiously turning the night into  blacky ink…It looked like strange creatures were moving under the sand. Suddenly Hoshmakaka was afraid.

“Okay, okay…I reckon I can carry three little bottles of perfumes…when do I start? “Today” replied the voices and as Hoshmakaka now opened both eyes he saw it was already morning. 

The servants of the wise men appeared and placed the precious gifts on his back. All the young camels looked up at Hoshmakaka with eyes filled in admiration. “You are the chosen one…WOW…You must be very special.”

“Well, of course I am…and I am not old…why I am still as strong as ten horses.”

The young camels began to beg to follow along and Hoshmakaka finally agreed if they would keep several paces behind him. Regal distance.

Everything went fine until about noon on the first day. A herd of mountain goats appeared with milk for the baby-king in large heavy bags. Just when Hoshmakaka was about to complain of his joints, gout, and sciatica the little camels piped up and said proudly, “Hoshmakaka can carry all these bags…why he is as strong as ten horses!”

Hoshmakaka groaned inwardly but there was nothing he could do but get back on his feet and keep going. Next came the millers with bags of ground corn…then beautiful young ladies with fine silks that (thank goodness) weren’t heavy at all, then appeared an old man with a rare bird in a heavy silver cage and finally bakers with their finest sweetmeats and pastries. All for the baby-king.

As the sun began to set that first night Hoshmakaka sank thankfully into the sand…it felt good not to have to pretend to be as strong as ten horses…he had never felt so exhausted in his entire life. Before he fell asleep he did notice that the night didn’t seem as dark as usual. There was a mysterious star, as bright as day, shining down in the desert. ‘How strange?’ thought the camel but he was too tired to do anything but fall asleep.

The next day brought new pains and aches as more and more people showed up with gifts for the baby-king. As the afternoon wore on…Hosmakaka thought to himself that he didn’t think he could make it…his legs were getting weaker, his gout, sciatica, and joints were killing him…the load was just too heavy!

He couldn’t do it…he had to swallow his pride and let everyone know he was finished when the youngest camel cried out “YOU DID IT! There is Bethlehem. You are as strong as ten horses Hoshmakaka!”

Hoshmakaka took a deep breath and thought to himself that he just might could pull this off if he did not stop his pace until he arrived at the spot beneath the star.

BUT JUST THEN…a small voice rang out in the darkness. “I have a gift for the baby king.”

It was a tiny child…but Hoshmakaka was too tired and he couldn’t stop…”Please child no more gifts.”

“It has no weight, it’s long and light.” said the child.

“Too little is too much right now” Hosmakaka barely whispered.

“But aren’t you as strong as ten horses?” asked the child meekly.

“This piece of straw is just for the baby’s bed…it’s all I have.”

“Child…quickly…do it now before I reach the stable and approach the new king…put it on my back.”

Immediately as Hoshmakaka entered the stable his back began to slip, his knees began to loosen, his legs began to wobble…his back was breaking….would this last piece of straw be his downfall?

He fell on his knees and was completely humiliated thinking the young camels would know what happened and tell everyone of his failure.

He hung his head as large tears began to drop from his eyes.

IT WAS THE WISE MEN who took notice of Hoshmakaka’s action and quickly they, too, knelt. (Hoshmakaka thought they were mocking him and he hung his head lower…so low it rested on the side of the crib.)

That is when it happened…a tiny hand reached up and grabbed the piece of straw off his back and then patted his face. Suddenly the whole weight of the world seemed lifted from him. His pain disappeared and his burdens were no longer felt.

He whispered to the little baby smiling directly into his eyes…’HOSANNA FROM HOSHMAKAKA…ACCEPT THESE GIFTS KINDLY. THEY CAME FROM FAR AND WIDE…BROUGHT TO YOU BY A CAMEL WHOSE PRIDE ONCE CAME BEFORE HIS HOMAGE…BUT NO MORE.”

From that time on there was no burden, great or small, that Hoshmakaka would not gladly carry…because he now knew the secret of Christmas. It would be the tiny Christ-child who would one day carry all mankind’s burdens on His shoulders leaving us with the most precious gift of all…  the promise of His presence and His sacrifice for us…giving us the never-ending Christmas present: life…eternal life.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

So until tomorrow…May we lay down our burdens on this Christmas Eve and every day…but especially today… taking time to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

We were lucky with the weather yesterday…most of the rain held off until the children and grandchildren left around mid-afternoon…we held the snowball fight on the B&B side and everything worked out perfectly!

Our gathering also gave us time to have a family celebration to wish Walsh and Tommy a happy birthday. (Tommy and Kaitlyn have been sick with the flu but we are hoping they can join everyone  for a little while, at least, for the Christmas festivities.)

Here are the Clemson surfing snowmen that Anne helped me with by re-painting the surfboards in Clemson decor. Thanks so much Anne…Walsh loved his…and I am sure Tommy will too today.

The story was well received (“The Last Straw”) and I hope you enjoyed reading it today…I will share more photos of the Christmas festivities with you tomorrow. Here is a church photo taken prior to the service.

Apparently at some time a little stuffed camel could be bought with the children’s book “The Last Straw”…here are two cute “Hoshmakaka’s” I found on-line.

Dear Reader:

Christmas Eve is here and it is time to take a “Sentimental Journey.” Of all the days of the year…this one, for me, is always the most sentimental. A day for memories.

The stanza to this popular Doris Day song sums the sentiment up exactly…

Gonna take a sentimental journey
Gonna set my heart at ease
Gonna make a sentimental journey
To renew old memories

There are certain items (traditions and memories) that I wait until Christmas Eve to put out…the first of these is: the “Boo Boo” stockings. (Eloise’s stocking just arrived yesterday…Whew!)

I sure hope Rudolph with his nose so bright is ready to pull the sleigh tonight because it is a foggy Christmas Eve here with rain expected…might have to get creative with the snowball fight. Anne said they are expecting a white Christmas in Connecticut at her sister’s house…no need for fake snowballs….they have the real thing.

The grandchildren need something to ‘tie’ them over until Santa comes tomorrow morning. This is the time for crazy noises and silly hats! Nothing big…just funny things.

For example some little items I found at the Dollar Tree this past week were one dollar Christmas solar-powered plastic globes. Each has an item hanging down that moves back and forth in the Christmas scene…powered by the sun…solar movement. And guess which one I got for myself….A Christmas scene with a red cardinal flying above…going back and forth under the afternoon sun’s rays falling on the table. It’s Sammy!

How I remember this Santa Claus…it took months to get him off lay-away….the wonderful Diane Wilson (last name then) had made this Santa in her shop People, Places, and Quilts. Finally I got him and he has been so special to me every since. Every piece of cloth/quilt on him homespun and adorable.

This was another Santa I purchased while there before I left…this one is more like a rag doll…but I love the quilts…I do miss working weekends in the shop adjacent to Diane’s…so many beautiful items to see created right before you. (This memory involves working to pay for pretty items in the shops…that took all my money!)

Each year new, special memories are formed….for example I love my new cup from Luke and Chelsey. And the traditional snowball fight is already in the making.

So until tomorrow: 

“Today is my FAVORITE day” Winnie the Pooh

*Take a moment to share this Christmas Adventure with Kevin the Carrot…voted the most popular ad for 2017

Aldi Christmas Advert ft. Kevin The Carrot 2017 – YouTube

Mollie sent this fun photo of the boys with Santa Claus…a memory captured forever.

(Picture…from Christmas card from Chris Frazier- Thank you Chris!)

Dear Reader:

In the Christmas classic…It’s a Wonderful Life… Jimmy Stewart’s youngest actress/daughter’s character speaks the famous words at the end of the movie: “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.” 

“Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings” (from ”It’s a Wonderful ..

I read where this famous line and idea became so popular toy stores and gift shops started making angels, bells, and other art forms with the well-liked quote on them.

Haven’t we all wanted, at one time or another, the magical ability to ring a bell and summon an angel to come look after us? I sure have. I always think there must be many different categories of angels…one for every possible problem that might arise.

When I came across this John O’Donohue poem…it just reaffirmed this suspicion for me…and it is so beautiful.

“A Blessing of Angels”

May the Angels in their beauty bless you.
May they turn toward you streams of blessing.

May the Angel of Awakening stir your heart
To come alive to the eternal within you,
To all the invitations that quietly surround you.

May the Angel of Healing turn your wounds
Into sources of refreshment.

May the Angel of the Imagination enable you
To stand on the true thresholds,
At ease with your ambivalence
And drawn in new direction
Through the glow of your contradictions.

May the Angel of Compassion open your eyes
To the unseen suffering around you.

May the Angel of Wildness disturb the places
Where your life is domesticated and safe,
Take you to the territories of true otherness

Where all that is awkward in you
Can fall into its own rhythm.

May the Angel of Eros introduce you
To the beauty of your senses
To celebrate your inheritance
As a temple of the holy spirit.

May the Angel of Justice disturb you
To take the side of the poor and the wronged.

May the Angel of Encouragement confirm you
In worth and self-respect,
That you may live with the dignity
That presides in your soul.

May the Angel of Death arrive only
When your life is complete
And you have brought every given gift
To the threshold where its infinity can shine.

May all the Angels be your sheltering
And joyful guardians.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

Today is my middle child’s birthday…a benchmark year some might say…but as his mother I can attest that Walsh has made every year of his life a benchmark birthday. Walsh loves life and life loves Walsh. Twice we almost lost him but the world wanted him to stay…there just isn’t enough “Walshiness” to go around. He’s our Kringle Dingle.

I love you Walsh and Happy Birthday! This year’s present is still cooking…literally… and who knows who might arrive today to share her daddy’s birthday or wait until another day. But some little girl is about to fall in love with her daddy and some daddy is about to fall in love with his daughter…now that is a benchmark birthday. Happy birthday Walsh…Woo Woo!

So until tomorrow- a birthday prayer for you and Aunt Pap…”I prayed for you today, gave thanks for your life, wished you the best, asked the heavens to bless you with good health and happiness. I sent you good thoughts, surrounded you with hope and faith and love. I asked your guardian angels to protect you and keep you safe from harm and to blanket you with  contentment, peace, and prosperity. I prayed for you today.”

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Here is a picture of Walsh at one-year-old with Aunt Pap who also shares her birthday with Walsh (23rd) Happy birthday Pap!… and mother (“Me-Mommy”) with her Christmas birthday one day before on the 22nd. Whew…we all needed to have taken courses on family planning! (And Tommy ends up coming five years later on the 29th…double whew!) Don’t you love my “wings” hair-do? I look like I am getting ready to fly!

Joan…Thank you so much for my bird night light…its reflection on the wall is gorgeous! Now I won’t trip making those midnight runs to the fridge….I am slowly but surely becoming a bird lover in my own right. Merry Christmas!

Dear Reader:

Wrapping paper is not my friend. Most years I tussle through the whole wrapping process…the tape sticks to my fingers and it won’t come off as needed or it disappears under another mound of wrapping paper, along with the scissors (never to be seen again)…or I run out of paper before I can get the last present wrapped. The bows flee in terror from my frustrated fussing at myself… so more and more I use bags and tissue paper to wrap gifts or shop where they wrap. (Can’t believe Belk stopped wrapping…come on now!)

The short story of a little girl and her gold wrapping paper always comes back to mind each Christmas as I get ready to “operate”  on another gift “victim.” You might have heard the story long ago, like me, but if you haven’t it is just too sweet not to hear again and remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.

Adaptation of the short story: “The Gold Wrapping Paper”

There once was a man who worked very hard just to keep food on the table for his family. One particular year, a few days before Christmas, he punished his little five-year-old daughter after learning that she had used up the family’s only roll of nice-looking gold wrapping paper.

What angered him even more was that she had wasted all the wrapping paper on one simple little shoe box covering it several times with the paper. He also was upset trying to figure out what she bought to put in it and where she had gotten any money.

On Christmas morning the father was  taken back somewhat when his little girl picked up the heavily wrapped shoe box and gave it to him. “Merry Christmas daddy…this present is for you.”

As the father started to open it he was somewhat humbled by his over-reaction to the wrapping paper incident days earlier as he  now smiled down at his little daughter.

But then when he opened it…his anger got the best of him again. It was empty. What a waste of wrapping paper for NOTHING! He shook his head in disgust and asked where the present was and why it was empty.

The little girl looked up at him with sad tears rolling from her eyes and whispered: “Daddy, it’s not empty. I blew kisses in it until it was all full.”

It took a second for the father to understand and then when he did he too, began to cry with joy for his little girl who understood the real meaning of Christmas… much better than he ever had.

It is told that the father kept this little gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. Whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems, he would open the box, take out an imaginary kiss, and remember the love of this beautiful child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us has been given an invisible golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold. (Short Christmas Stories)

So until tomorrow:

Today is my mother’s birthday…she would be almost 100 if she were still alive today. There is not a single day that goes by that I don’t think of her, miss her, and see a little bit more of her in me. We are our mothers’ daughters.

Best Winnie The Pooh Decorations For Baby Room Products On Wanelo within Winnie The Pooh Christmas Quotes – Best Celebration Day

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

Here are some Christmas cuties… Eva Cate and her good friend, Lily whose grandmother, Lori, gets my vote for best grandmother of the year. She let Eva Cate spend the night last night, they went to the James Island Festival of Lights, ate out…and did all kinds of fun, creative activities. Thank you so much Lori! You brought Christmas early!

Dear Reader:

If you look at the tiny manger scene (above) for a few moments one quickly realizes that the baby is out of proportion to the manger and the parents. This little “Baby Jesus” ended up in a drawer with Christmas ornaments. It doesn’t fit any of the mangers in my home so there is a mystery where it came from originally.

For most children the figurine of the Baby Jesus is the most popular while playing with mangers under the Christmas tree. I have a feeling one of the grandchildren found this figurine somewhere and took it to look at it and never put it back from some other manger somewhere else. But who knows…another Christmas mystery?

While holding the little figurine, puzzling over it…a connection to a wonderful old movie-for-television came back to me…Mr. Kreuger’s Christmas...a real tear-jerker starring the late Jimmy Stewart. It came out in 1980 and I believe it was one of the last movies Stewart made.

He plays the part of a lonely widower (Willie Kreuger) who recently lost his wife, Martha. He lives in a basement with a cat. It is Christmas Eve and the solitary character is remembering happier times. He goes over to look at a manger in the room and something quite magical happens.

When we feel the Holy Spirit of Christmas, the season takes on a whole new meaning.

On Christmas Eve, Willie walks over to the nativity set on the night table and picks up the porcelain manger holding baby Jesus. He is then transported to the inn where people are gathered around baby Jesus. At this time, Willie realizes that no one can see or hear him except for baby Jesus. In a heartfelt moment he says to Jesus, “Thank you for everything you have done for me. As long as I can remember you have been right by my side. I never forget when you walked with me for those first few hours after I lost Martha. I have always been able to count on you. When I felt dark inside, you were right there every time.”  (Guidepost/Mysterious Ways)

Isn’t this what Christmas is all about…knowing Jesus is “right there every time?” Especially when we need Him the most?

So until tomorrow…In a nutshell isn’t Jesus really ‘the reason for the season?’  Everything else will fade away…tucked in the attics of our old Christmas memories…but Jesus is living and present for us forever…never just a memory.

“Today is my favorite day”

Winnie the Pooh

I rarely get on Facebook anymore…just don’t have time between writing a blog and all the Pre-Christmas activities going on so many of you might have already seen this video but Sarah Moody sent it to me on Messenger and like many thousands of others…I appreciated the message. It was written and acted out by a local church in Charlotte. If you haven’t seen it…take a minute (literally) to do so.

Christmas Video from Local Charlotte Church Goes Viral! – Video

I had an unexpected surprise visit from my wonderful neighbors across the street…Luke and his fiancee, Chelsey. They came bearing gifts, homemade cookies, a wonderful cup for hot chocolate, and a snowbird cardinal for Sammy…(He is famous all over the neighborhood.)

*Luke and Chelsey have a lot to celebrate this Christmas…they just got engaged at Thanksgiving, Chelsey just graduated from Tifton graduate school and they are now in their new house…with Chelsey job hunting. A wonderful Christmas to all!

Dear Reader: 

Yesterday while I was waiting on my oncology appointment I started flipping through Family Circle…and a word jumped out at me…homesickness.  I had just talked about that word in the blog two days before.

This time however, there was a picture of a candle…it was called a “Homesickness Candle.” This immediately peaked my curiosity so when I got home I pulled up the website:

The Original Homesick Candles – Bring back nostalgic memories‎

The idea behind these candles is there is one for each state…so you pull up the state you are ‘homesick’ for and a special scent has been made for that candle using scents from natural ingredients indigenous to that state. For Example: I pulled up South Carolina and…

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I real several articles on homesickness at Christmas and the most challenging cases of homesickness center from polar hot and cold locations at Christmas. For example…one Irish newspaper published letters from Irish immigrants living in Australia or New Zealand and missing the cold weather, the coats, the hot toddies and pictures of their friends doing all the traditional caroling, sitting by roaring fires, etc. (While they were experiencing the beginning of summer…shorts and water games.)

Another area that took more adjusting to (especially at Christmas)… for European and American immigrants… was living in the United Arab Emirates.  The causes again were a mixture of the weather, seasons, and cultural differences from western culture. Everything that represented Christmas customs and traditions back home had to be tweaked and adjusted to a new environment. (*And the same goes for immigrants living in western cultures used to other traditions at Christmas.)

Homesickness at Christmas, however, is not just relegated to foreign lands, far from home…homesickness covers many areas…like the loss of a loved one, a pet, a break-up in a relationship, having no serious relationship and wanting one, health issues or a hospital stay over the holidays…even the loss of a childhood Christmas stocking can take its toll emotionally during the holidays.

I thought the quote in the title photo put a different spin on the origin of many homesickness cases…we aren’t just sad about missing family, friends or loved ones when absent…we are equally concerned that we won’t be the same people we were before we left…that person will change and adapt to a new environment, new friends and acquaintances, customs, etc. and a different person will slowly evolve…not necessarily bad or good…just different.

We, ourselves, sometimes get homesick for the child within us, the memories of the crazy adolescent, or the innocence of first young love. We wish we could go back and see ourselves differently then…as we can do now.

Perhaps the answer to inner homesickness and how to turn it around… comes from Winnie the Pooh and Dr. Seuss too. We need to learn to turn our homesickness upside down and be thankful we have someone to miss or memories to smile about.

So until tomorrow…When homesickness hits…be thankful we have loved ones to miss and memories to cherish forever.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

I miss the fall leaves but it just makes me appreciate the trees more when the leaves turn to blossoms… with their return in the spring…covered in most ‘blooming’ attire. ( I also appreciate the last maples leaves on the few trees still covered in them.)

After my doctor appointment I met Mollie at the East Bay Deli to get Rutledge and Lachlan’s “Boo Boo” stockings back and give Mollie her big pink bag (literally) from Honey filled with all kinds of items for Eloise…unbelievable! (It was so crowded at the deli we couldn ‘t find room to open it but Mollie was excited to get back home to do so. Thanks Honey…you are too much girl! Amazing.)

With this unexpected warm weather I got out last evening and walked up and down the street…so happy to see “Big Red” and all the other flowers beaming and budding in glorious red colors on the porch.

Dear Reader:

As Vickie, Maggie and I passed this house in the neighborhood yesterday the late afternoon sun was lighting this palmetto tree up with brilliant colors. How beautiful our state palmetto tree is!

The older I get the simpler I like Christmas to be…I have quit putting as many decorations on my wreaths and just let them be green with pine cones and a spark of baby breath perhaps….my door wreath this year.

I saw this idea on Pinterest that was simple and cute…maybe next year I will try it…the two state symbols…the crescent and the palmetto tree (pinecone)

I love to get Christmas cards with state emblems on them…and I do like the palmetto trees lit up on Marion Square and the parks around the area…including side streets…and in houses.

Every place around the world has its own unique beauty and culture at Christmas through the plants and trees indigenous to its area. That is what makes the world so interesting…the diversity of this planet we live on. God so loved the world He made the races of man diverse as well as the terrain.What a wonderful Christmas gift!

But the one thing that ties us altogether at Christmas are the stars. You might remember me telling you how homesick I would get at summer camps growing up. So one year before I left mother took me out in the yard, put a blanket down on the ground and started pointing out different constellations and making me laugh with their stories and legends.

Then she said (something to the effect) “Becky, remember each night, if you are feeling homesick…Go look up at the stars and know that I am looking at them too…it is the stars that connect us all and bring us back home.”

Wasn’t it the stars that brought us all back home one Christmas Eve a long time ago…the whole human race? It was one brilliant guiding light that told the world God had placed His Son in our world and things would never be the same again.

And now today…when we look out over the stars…we are seeing the same stars our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc. saw…from the first civilization to present…the human race is connected to the stars.

…And mom was right…one day one star will lead me back home again…and I will never feel homesick again…because I, finally, am home.

So until tomorrow…

“The universe is in our bones, the stars in our Soul; it’s never really the end.”

When we sing we are all one in the spirit…we are singing we are all one in the universe…we are all connected to life…to our Creator.

What a beautiful Christmas gift!

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh