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Posts Tagged ‘Faith’

My Lunch with the Gov

Posted in My lunch with..., tagged , , , , , , on February 17, 2012| 2 Comments »

Okay, this is actually a letter I sent this evening to the Gov, but I don’t have that category so we’re putting it under My Lunch with…

Dear Governor Christie,
Good morning (or whatever time of day this is read).  To whoever reads this on behalf of the Governor, good morning to you as well.

Please reconsider the bill for gay marriage.  I lean more toward the conservative side, typically vote Republican, though the better person for the job will get my vote.  I am a Christian (American Baptist) and I practice my religion.  I work on my faith every day.  My faith tells me to embrace everyone and learn to love the person regardless of what my faith may identify as sin.  Through my life I can live the way Jesus taught one to live.  That is my choice.  That is my freedom as an American.  We are all created equal in America.  Yet, gay marriage still is struggling to gain a solid foothold in our country.

I actually liken this issue to the suffrage movement.  Women didn’t have the same rights with regards to property and the like, nor voting.  Now voting is not an issue in this situation, but the rest lines up moderately well.  I could not imagine my life if my voice didn’t matter, if I were not equal to my husband.

How can I say that two gay people don’t deserve the same as what my husband and I share?  Love, respect, shared goals and hopes.  I know so many gay people and I love them.  I don’t like to see their pain and frustration over this issue.

I cannot stop thinking that passing such legislation would have so many benefits to our society.  It would be a giant step forward in diminishing stigma.  Imagine the hope it would offer to young people struggling with their identities in a society that makes it so difficult to express themselves.  Could it help to lower the amount of bullying?  Possibly.  Isn’t that wonderful-it would help to support the anti-bullying law that all the children are being legislated to learn.  If we can legislate anti-bullying, then we can legislate a new road to help forge the end of bullying related to homosexuality.  Remove the stigma and help with acceptance.  Help with finding the similarities rather than widening the differences.

There’s so much legislation that sounds silly to the average person.  Yet this legislation could actually improve lives.  And relationships between people.  And even the economy.  Most importantly, my friends would be able to celebrate their love.

Please know that I know you are making several statements with the whole veto thing.  I know what you campaigned on but this matters more than a campaign promise.  Sadly, if you leave it to a vote, not enough people will show up because apathy runs rampant in this state.  I know also that another reason behind the veto may be related to the whole political drama thing-making a statement that the senate and house are focusing on the wrong things right now.  This is finally a piece of legislation that moves something in society forward, unlike so many other bills that seem silly.  I really wish I could recall some of the stupider ones from the past year, but darn, brain’s drawing a blank.

You have impressed me thus far because you remind me of Dave.  Watch the Kevin Kline movie Dave if you want to know what that means (if you’ve never seen it).  But right now you’re starting to act more like a politician and it’s not impressive.  Stop campaigning with this issue, stop referring back to your winning campaign for the positive psychological impact that it can have on voters, and do the job you were hired to do.  And as Dave said, it’s a temp job at that.  Go for it, be a trailblazer.  Be bold.  Sign the bill.

Be well.

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Just in case you forgot

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , , , on February 16, 2012| 2 Comments »

It seems for me that whenever I’m ready to plop myself down and dig into a deep and wide pity party, God lovingly smacks me across the face and says, “Snap out of it.”  I have had a blessed life.  Yes, I have had my own challenges to deal with and battle and overcome.  Some more intense than what others may have faced in their lives, but every challenge has had an outcome of me growing stronger or learning a new way to live my life.  I’ve been mighty whiny in some of my posts the past few months.  (Sorry, but then again, it is my blog.  I get to decide what I’m going to write about, though I truly appreciate you reading my whiny posts).  I also believe that the challenges I face in my life are totally valid and not any less of a challenge because of other events, but those events offer perspective and help me move forward.

A tragic accident occurred this morning in the town where my husband grew up.  My father-in-law lives there still.  We worship at church there every week.  I’m on one the boards of this church because that’s my church family and I believe I can be of some use in this capacity.  We got married there, we were both baptized there, I pray my sons will one day be baptized there.  So while I’ve never lived in this town, my heart weeps this evening.  A family has lost a child.  I can’t even write about that because I can’t fathom how that must rip one’s soul out.  My heart , my prayers, are with the family.  I have friends who lost a child and I am constantly in awe of their strength and love and patience to grow from it and to embrace their family close to their hearts with their child always in their hearts, with lots of love and hope.  I hope for the family who is living that tragedy today that they are able to find their love and strength as my friends did, do, and will.

This is the perspective.  This is what makes me write what I wrote above.  I can’t get the image of Cher out of my mind.  Remember in the movie Moonstruck, she slaps Nic Cage and says “Snap out of it.”  That’s what God does to me every once in a while when I get stupidly stuck in my own experience without looking out to the world to connect to the larger world.  To see Him weeping at some awful tragedy that has happened.  To challenge me to think of ways I could help the world rather than sit and whine at a pity party.

I hugged my sons nice and tight tonight.  I smiled as I heard them saying their prayers.  I thanked God for my blessings.  I asked for comfort and grace for the town of Chesterfield.

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Reaching a plateau

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , , on February 12, 2012| 2 Comments »

The day was full of possibilities.  The morning started rather well, with some cuddling of the six year old as he cried a wee bit about Brigadoon.  The tears soon turned to laughs as we talked about some Brigs’ goofier moments.  Everyone was fed, dressed, and ready to go to church.  Even managed to scrape off the minivan.  Goals were set for the day on the way to church and the sun began to peek through the clouds.

Before Sunday School, my oldest son asked me to go see the puppies his teacher had brought to class.  I went in happily, the circle of life and all, and I doubted they would be lab puppies.

Yep, a chocolate, a black, and a yellow in all their furry cuddly glory.  Tears sprung to my eyes.  I quickly left the room and went to teach my class.

After class, my sons and I went into the classroom and held those cute puppies.  My boys were quick to ask for the yellow one (no), then the other two (no and no).  Their requests helped me to not cry.  We went into church and I felt refreshed.  On the way home we stopped by the firehouse to sign up for little league and then splurged on some Dunkin Donuts.

The goals I had set for myself on the way to church were still in my working memory.  I planned on a very productive day.  We pulled into the driveway and I saw the gutter hanging off of the house.  Called my brother-in-law but he was up north shopping.  I simply hoped it wouldn’t rip all the way off, exposing the wood.

I hit the plateau.

Everything began to hurt.  Motivation flew out the window.  While I did accomplish some tasks, the energy was gone.  How can that little of a day suck so much energy out of me?

Yes, my sons had a fun day.  They used their sleds a few times down the little hill.  They played outside until they were freezing.  They played Air Hogs inside, had fun meals, and were wonderfully behaved all day.  As I type, they are playing in the bathroom sink.  Water continues to fascinate them.  They’ve followed directions, been gracious, and had a pleasant day.  I love my time with them, you know, time not interrupted by other things.

My question, more to myself but if anyone has theories, feel free to share them, is how do I summon up so much energy at work five days a week and cannot make it past 3:00 on a weekend day?  What changes?  Is it because I sit behind a desk like a bump on a log at work?  Is it because I put more heart and soul into the weekend days because family trumps work and I wear myself out more quickly?  Obviously, like many folks, I wish I could work two days a week and have five days off with my family.  Since that’s not the schedule at work, and I’m not independently wealthy, I work five days a week and get two days with my family.  Why can I not manage my energy better on Saturday and Sunday?

So here I sit at 7:30, an obscenely early hour in my world, hoping my sons go to bed and fall asleep really quickly so I can go to bed with ice packs on various bones.  My bro-in-law was wonderful and stopped by with his wonderful wife and in the freezing cold, he nailed the gutter back up onto the house.  I got the ladders and hammer ready right after they called because we were losing daylight fast.  Now the gutter will at least hold till it can be properly replaced.

The many goals that were set?  I hung up two towel hooks and set up a litter box with an easier entry for the very senior cat.  The many others?  Still sitting in my working memory, wondering when they too will be accomplished.

Not tonight my good goals.  Not tonight.  I’ll be lucky to make it to the bed.

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The Good Hands of Liberty Mutual

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , , , on February 10, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I am fortunate enough to have wonderful opportunities of fellowship with my church family.  This evening was our monthly get-together of the 20s-30s group of which I am a welcome interloper since I am neither in my 20s nor my 30s.  I wielded self-control of the tongue like Thor wields his mighty hammer.  Not that we can’t share and contribute to the conversation-that is one of the main hopes of the group, but my brain filled with so many personal connections to the topics that if I hadn’t demonstrated the self-control I would have seemed like an egocentric maniac.

Dreams…what’s your dream?  Part of our discussion this evening and a quote from Pretty Woman.  Dreams are such a part of life.  Songs are written about them, books are written about them, psychics will interpret your dreams from slumber.  One has a dream and that leads to a goal.  Then you work toward it in increments and often the goal is achieved and the dream is realized.  Sometimes not.   But still we dream.

The discussion turned to many topics this evening, but my brain has not finished working through them to share yet.  But there a few thoughts to jot down before memory allows them to slip away.

The idea of seeing something nice and then doing the same for someone else.  We knew it was from an insurance commercial but couldn’t recall which one.  I saw it tonight when I turned on the television.  Liberty Mutual.  How often do you do that?  Not watch the insurance commercial, but spread a little sunshine.  It is one of the simplest ways to share kindness and make the world a wee bit friendlier.

We also talked about the image of the “good hands”.  We’ve discussed that image before in relationship to ways we may picture God.  I do like the image of God’s large hands keeping me safe-truly the good hands. Good hands there to comfort you in sadness, cheer with you in times of accomplishment, pray with you in times of questioning.  But we also mentioned Allstate.

Is this group obsessed with insurance?  No.  But insurance companies play upon the craving for safety that is a part of the human existence.  The first two levels of Maslow’s hierarchy deal with safety.  We crave it.  We don’t aspire to the “fun” stuff like dreams and aspirations until we have satisfied our need for safety.  Once those aspects of life are secured (or at least as secured as those things can be), then we can jump in with both feet running toward our dreams.

It was fun to think about Maslow.  I also got to think about Vygotsky tonight.  It was discussed that growth comes from frustration or challenges.  Hee hee…the inner geek in me thought about the zone of proximal development.  One of my favorite theories that I love learning about.  The exploration of its application in my life and life in general frequently fills my mind.  I love the opportunities presented to me to be the more knowledgeable other (MKO).  But even more exciting is when I’m in the zone and I find the more knowledgeable other in the most random of places.  Many times the MKO is easy to find.  If I have to figure out the increase in percentages, I go to my boss and we think it through together (she’s stronger in math than me…the MKO).  If I need to hang something straight, I turn to my hubby because I have no sense of depth perception and hang everything crooked (though it looks great to me!).  I seek guidance from my husband, my pastor, my folks, my friends, but sometimes the guidance I need comes from my sons.  Or someplace or someone I cannot even guess.

Tonight I will slumber and most likely dream.  Perhaps one of those dreams will lead to a dream for my waking hours.  I think people have better days with a dream in their minds.  Dreams speak of future, of possibilities, of hope.  And as Uncle Stevie had Andy Dufresne say, “hope is a good thing.”

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Mob Mentality

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , , on February 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »

One has to be in awe of Mary Shelley.  She capitalized on mob mentality a long time ago.  Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus touched a nerve in society almost 200 years ago and continues to touch a nerve today.  College courses are designed around studying this piece of literature.  It has been adapted into multiple films, stage adaptations, and other genres within the fine arts world.  People misidentify the creature as Frankenstein all the time, driving me positively crazy in the process.  The themes within this one piece of literature are vast and deep, visible in our everyday society.

Politics capitalize on mob mentality stirred usually through propaganda.  The saddest part about this is even with the mob stirred up apathy runs rampant.  Many heated debates may take place in different forums, over coffee at the local shop, over online social media sites, in classrooms on university campuses.  Real change and progress take time, energy, passion, and determination.  Many people have these qualities about their personal passion, but may get tunnel vision and forget to look around.  So while they could help with change they lose perspective and everyone just ends up shouting their tale louder and louder hoping to be heard by anybody who might stop to listen.

Illness also feeds mob mentality.  What was the latest flu-swine, bird?  I cannot even remember.  People think I’m nuts to not get a flu vaccine but the last time I had the flu was the year I got the vaccine.  While many of our modern medicinal advances are wonderful and things I embrace, others are creating new medical issues.  I let my sons get dirty.  I don’t make them use hand sanitizer every thirty minutes.  They get enough of that in school.  You need some germs to help your body develop the ability to fight them.  Over sanitizing can make you get sicker more easily.  Like I said, some medical advances are amazing.  Others not so much.   There is not always one pill to fix something.  Natural treatments are still a valid option.  Mob think however wants that one pill.  They don’t always care if it’s brand spanking new and no one really knows what it could do over the long term.  I personally wait till a new treatment is at least seven years out on the market to see how it does (little trick I learned from my hubby).

Education often falls into the mob mentality.  This is horrific to me.  Everyone learns in an individual way.  While you can learn within a group format, we need to remember that each person is going to leave that group setting and process the information differently.  We label everything in education to the point of labeling the labels!  The mobs said 20 years ago that one needed to have their children in something everyday.  Now these children struggle to focus on one central goal and stick with it.  My boys get to be boys.  They have time to figure out what they want to be when they grow up.  They have time to focus on an interest and become good at it.  They have time to learn because they are learning every day.  There is so much they have to learn about simply being a gentle, considerate, compassionate person at this tender age.  I don’t need to overwhelm them with extraneous stuff.  The mob says I should.  I ignore them.

Children aren’t always hyper–they are simply being children.  They haven’t yet lost the ability to be truly excited and happy about something and show it freely.  I love when I remember to do that-to let my whole being show how excited I am about something.  I don’t care what the mob thinks.  If I’m excited or I really like something regardless of the societal popularity, I’m gonna show it.  Children express their emotions within the moment fully and I still wonder why we work so hard to lose that gift.

Be bold.  Ignore the mob.  Embrace your own thoughts, ideas, and dreams.  Follow your own beliefs.

Truly some think that one’s own beliefs are formed by a mob.  Many (not all) without an organized religion to call home seem to feel or think that organized religion is simply mob mentality or glorified cults.  But unlike what sometimes happens to a person with a political cause, those who embrace a religious family are coming together because of the shared vision.  Then by nature that person usually has similar views to the others within the religious family.  This is similar to how one chooses their political alignment, but one political group doesn’t always meet all of one’s needs. This can make the waters muddy and creates conflict.

Politics and religion battle often over who has control of the human body.  Once again, Shelley was all over that 200 years ago.  This has been debated forever (or at least it seems that way even though I haven’t been around forever).  We put our energies into many things that, while important, make us forget the other things that are equally important.  Give people the benefit of the doubt.  They are probably trying their best each day but are dealing with their own struggles.  A little kindness and acceptance go a long way.

Ramblings flow easily from the brain whether it be the brain of a genius or the brain of “Abby someone…Abby Normal”.  These are my ramblings this evening.  Shelley gave us a lot to think about.  And tons of great movies to watch.  My personal favorites would be Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (yes, Kenneth Branagh’s version) and Young Frankenstein (go Mel Brooks!).  They make a fun double feature if you’ve got the time.  Throw in Frankenstein Unbound and you’ve got your whole day planned.

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Adam & Darwin & Pokemon

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , , , , , on January 30, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Life presents various struggles, dilemmas, and challenges to overcome.  Some are easier than others-deciding which shoes to wear with an outfit or which dessert to have after dinner.  Notice I didn’t write if to have dessert…but which dessert because you only live once and you can enjoy things like dessert in moderation.  Or be gluttonous, really, it’s up to you but live with the choices you make and please don’t whine about them.

Back to challenges.  The challenge I am about to embark on is related to my son’s faith.  Many would say it is his challenge and it is.  However, as his mom I want to help him and be there to guide him.  Since I know nothing about evolutionary theism or any of the variations on the name, I’ve got a lot to learn.  Just by doing a quick google search I have quickly learned that there is controversy surrounding it and I will need to brush up Darwin.  My oldest is grappling with balancing his growing faith in Jesus with his scientific brain.  He asked me the other day who was the first man on earth and I naturally responded Adam.  He looked at me and said, um, Mom, are you sure?  Does that fit within the eras?  I told him we’d have to research it.

Now I get to start researching it.  I have to start before him because he will advance beyond me in no time.  Evolution is everywhere.  The Pokemon world has it.  The cards evolve to stronger forms.  My youngest son is having his unbirthday party this weekend.  “The Amazing World of Gumball” is the theme.  One of the characters is named Darwin.  It’s a fish with legs.  I was trying to explain to my youngest why that is funny but he is six-evolutionary theory is a rather large topic.

Add into the mix blending that with theology and it makes my head hurt.  My head will have to hurt because my oldest is still walking his road toward baptism.  He’s been asking about baptism in the same breath he’s been asking about who was the first man.  I have not explicitly asked him yet if he is trying to find a balance because I want to be able to answer him with more than just “We’ll ask Pastor Ed.”  Trust me-we will ask Pastor Ed, but I want my son to know that I will be on the journey with him.  I want to be able to field questions from my younger son too.  He usually joins in on the conversations once he notices the level of intensity.

My youngest noticed his big brother in church on Sunday.  He realized big bro was participating in the service.  I think when he heard “Gloria Patri” he put together that the song his big bro keeps singing at bedtime came from church.

So tomorrow I will take a break during work and go to the big old library and get a book or two.  I’ll search the databases for some current information as well.  Let the learning begin.

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In the right place at the right time

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , , , on January 26, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Obviously I would love to write that the right place and time involved meeting someone like Kenneth Branagh or Uncle Stevie.  No such luck.

However I was in the right place at the right time for a person at work today.  She had some concerns about a topic and, in my humble opinion, God sent the Holy Spirit on down to make sure we connected.  Our conversation turned to some works by Edwidge Danticat.  Well, I got excited right away.  I’ve known of her work for about a decade and had just read an article written by Danticat that a friend had posted on fb.  I go on fb to share the article with the person and then we chatted for a bit.  The person then shared that one part of the situation was about Haiti and her experiences, peripheral though they may have been, that have shaped her thoughts, negatively, about the country.  Also, she was faced with the dilemma of dealing with some materials that go against her beliefs as a Christian.

Well, bust my buttons, I thought to myself.  The person who had posted the Danticat article had spent time in Haiti.  I shared that my friend had spent three weeks in Haiti a couple of years ago.  She returned from her three week trip about three days before the earthquake hit.  She was impacted by the country and then the earthquake so much so that she is in the middle of spending a year there through Beyond Borders.

Together this person and I looked at some of the pictures of my friend in Haiti.  I asked her to think of what could have shaped the lives of the people she had interactions with that could have made them hurtful to other people.  We talked about the materials that seemingly go against her beliefs.  I told her I was not trying to make her do something she didn’t feel comfortable doing, but think of Jesus.  He’s called at times a rabbi, a teacher.  Isn’t part of following Him learning about people and cultures in order to better understand and in turn enrich our own beliefs?  Didn’t He embrace the tax collector, the sick, the “undesirables”?

Our conversation was rich and deep.  We ran quite a gamut of topics and perspectives.  The person said I am in my job for a reason.  When I shared the story with my boss, she said that I had evoked an emotional response.  She knows I’m a junkie for that.

Right place, right time.

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The Christmas Spirit

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Fair warning…I am writing about Christmas.  If you do not celebrate this holiday, I am not writing this to offend you, but merely to exercise my right to be a Christian and celebrate my faith.  So if it bothers you when a Christian uses her right to freedom of religion now is a good time to stop reading so you don’t get angry at me.

That said-we watched Muppet Christmas Carol twice today.  I’m watching the Monk Christmas episodes and will begin baking cookies very soon.  Tomorrow evening we’ll go to church for the Christmas Eve service.  It’s one of my favorite services of the year.  During the minutes when the church is lit only by candles and we sing “Silent Night” I am filled with a feeling like no other.  When we get home, the boys will listen to Scott read the “Night Before Christmas” and I’ll take their picture next to the empty stockings.  They’ll be tucked into bed and then the fun really begins.

As Santa works, he always watches the marathon of A Christmas Story.  After about the fourth go-around, he gets to go to bed.  This year Santa tagged everything in advance so perhaps Santa will only see the movie three times before collapsing into bed.  Last thing Santa does before falling into bed is adding the baby Jesus to the Nativity set.  The Wise Men don’t come out till Epiphany so they still get to hang out for a couple of weeks.

One of the things I love about this time of year is the wonderful sense of antici…pation.  I love reflecting on the birth of Jesus.  With the birth of each of my sons I was completely overwhelmed with emotion, thoughts, questions, answers.  My entire world changed.  How must it have felt to give birth to the Savior?  I cannot fathom.  The strength and faith that resided within Mary are levels that I will most likely never have, but I try.  The whole concept of grace and parenting fills my daily thoughts.  To let your child grow into his own potential.  To provide guidance, support, and respect so he knows he can figure out who he is and make good choices.  To fill his days with love and faith and grace.  To help him make the memories that will shape his future.  Oh, the joy of parenting is heightened at this time of year.  The anticipation I felt with each pregnancy, wondering if the baby would be a boy or girl, wondering what the baby would look like.  This time of year always brings back those memories as I think about the anticipation Mary must have felt.  Every mother feels it, but I would presume it may have been heightened for her.

And the anticipation in the children is fantastic.  It’s harder to focus on some things, but their focus on waiting for Christmas morning is solid.  While this young, more of the focus does fall to the big guy in red, but the moments my sons have shared with me as they have thought about the birth of Jesus warm my heart.  They have asked more detail questions this year than previous years.  They’ve wondered if it was warm or cold, what kinds of animals were there, how long did it take the Wise Men to get there, why did they bring gifts, is that why we get gifts, so many questions.  I answer as best as I can.  The only thing I do is try to not destroy their sense of wonder.

May your Christmas celebration be filled with the love Mary and Joseph felt that wonderful day.  May the spirit of God fill your heart and soul.  May you make beautiful memories with your families and friends.  Happy Christmas!

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Really? I’m supposed to feel this tired?

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , , on December 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »

A few years ago I was feeling tired and sore all the time.  Went to lots of appointments, found an unrelated growth in the left ovary (bye, bye left ovary) and was finally told I have fibromyalgia and may have had it for years.  I used to take one of the meds that can be used to treat it for another issue but went off that med as we were trying to get pregnant.  Then I was pregnant, nursing, pregnant, nursing and so attributed the physical pain to that.  Yet after finishing nursing with my youngest, I still felt pain all the time and really tired and all the other lovely symptoms that go with fibromyalgia.

I choose not to use the medicines because of the dreadful side effects.  With that choice, there is a lot of pain.  Usually it is tolerable.  Lately though it has been taking a lot of effort to get through the work day.  By the time I get home, I am completely wiped.  I make sure to use whatever energy I can summon up to have time with my sons and then I collapse.

My hands hurt.  My wrists, ankles, knees, hips, shoulders.  My appetite is inconsistent.  There are other issues but no one really wants to read about those particularly if you just ate, are about to eat, or ever want to enjoy eating again.

Please know that while this really does sound like a whiny series of complaints, it is not meant to be.  I am simply stating my daily existence.  It’s a blessed existence and I can handle it, but I’m behind right now in prepping for the holidays.  I am mostly writing about this to reaffirm for myself that it does not have to be perfect, family knows what one’s house truly looks like, and the boys will have an awesome Christmas making lovely new memories to cherish forever.

And I will have over a week to not have to go to work.  I love my job.  I’ve had a particularly lovely semester.  I just cannot believe how tired I am.  Remember, I’m not old, I’m cultured.  Yet I feel ancient.  The pain in my fingers when I type is almost unbearable.  Yes, I appreciate the irony that I’m typing right now.  My ability to write with a pen or pencil is failing miserably.  My signature is unrecognizable to me at this point.

But over a week without having to go through the almost 30 mile commute and all the miserable people who drive without regard for the other cars on the highway.  Over a week to be with my sons and husband.  Over a week to work on our home during the few hours each day when the pain is not as bad.  I can get adjustments from my hubby and maybe my right arm will stop being numb.

Okay, this is a whiny series of complaints.  Pity party is over.  I would love to write that I feel empowered and rejuvenated from getting this off my chest.  But I am still simply going to go to bed.  Good night.

 

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Outing Santa

Posted in Musings and Epiphanies, tagged , , , on December 7, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Dreadful to read of people outing Santa as not real.  I believe in him.  I know there are different legends surrounding him, but based on one particular version, why wouldn’t I want to? Who wouldn’t want to believe in a man who is so inspired by the love of God to spread love by giving presents?  If you’re good, you are rewarded.  Hmmm…make good choices, be rewarded for it.  Yes, I can get behind that concept. Make poor choices (or be “bad”), get coal (insinuations of fire and brimstone…interesting concept to ponder one day).

My sons have begun to ask about the big guy in red.  Peer pressure has seeped into their lives faster than the frosting melts into the crevices of a cinnamon roll.  I usually deflect and redirect as needed.  I will never say the words “he’s not real” to them.  No way.  I don’t think my parents ever explicitly told me.  I’m forty-one.  I still listen for the hooves on the roof.

When I was around eight  years old, I really began to doubt.  I was certain he wasn’t real.  Well, when Santa shows up at your front door to ask why you don’t believe in him, it makes you rethink the whole situation.  The pictures truly captured my shock (I wish I had them, but the basement flooded a lot).  I never turned back since that December night.  It was an awesome feeling to see him up close and personal.

My sons and I went to visit Santa at the mall last week (yes, I am aware of how that flies in the face of the big guy in red not being about commercialism).  Santa spent about 20 minutes with my sons.  My youngest made his Jack Nicholson face in one of the shots and one is a classic picture with Santa.  But my favorite picture was taken by the very sweet elf as the boys were just chatting with Santa.

The boys and Santa

I will treasure this picture forever.

The other wonderful thing that happened during this visit was eavesdropping on my sons.  I heard them emphatically tell Santa that even though some of their friends said he isn’t real, they know he is.  They told him they looked all over the house and, I quote, “Mom is good, but she can’t hide a tree in the house.”

Thank goodness Santa brings our tree.  The boys go to sleep with empty stockings hanging on the railing and nothing else.  Come morning, Santa has brought the fully decorated tree, filled the stockings, and left the presents from his sack under the tree.  Santa’s presents aren’t wrapped because he only has to pull them from his sack, so the wrapped presents are from Mom & Dad.

Mom is good, but she can’t hide a tree in the house.

I just hope the boys don’t go in our neighbor’s backyard.

       

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