Some thoughts as we enter the holiday season. ... it is important to remember that not everyone is surrounded by large wonderful families. Some have problems during the holidays and some are overcome with great sadness when remembering the loved ones who are no longer with us. Many people have no one to spend these times with and are besieged with loneliness. We all need caring, loving thoughts right now. Giving support for all those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues, worries of any kind and just need to know someone cares. Do it for all of us, for none of us is immune.
I'll never forget the day our youngest sat next to me on the couch watching television. While what we were watching was relatively kid-friendly, I failed to remember there was a reference to Santa being the parents.
I sat still wondering if my son had noticed the conversation. All of the sudden, he pipes up with, "Wait. You're Santa? Santa's not real?"
My husband and older son sat silent, and I chimed in immediately, "Oh my goodness!" With excitement in my voice, I looked at my husband and said, "Do you think he's ready?"
My youngest asked quickly as he straightened himself up, "Ready for what? I'm ready!"
"I think he's ready. " my husband said with a smile.
"Ready for what?! What is happening?!"
"To become a Santa with us, buddy."
"I could be a Santa?!"
"That's who Santa really is, sweetheart. When you are old enough, you learn that giving is better than receiving. You learn to give without asking for anything in return. You become a Santa."
"Oh my gosh! So I'm a Santa now?!"
"You are, my love. Congratulations on being a big kid."
"Who do I give to then?! I'm ready!"
And the conversation continued. And there was no sadness...only excitement. And he purchased items for others with mommy in order to surprise them and see the joy in their eyes.
When our kids grew old enough, they didn't learn Santa wasn't real; they learned Santa is in all of us. And they proudly accepted the new role of being givers.
Credit: Anchoring Hope for Mental Health: Jeremy & Bailey Koch
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1st Corinthians 13:13
"My barbershop is located in an old mining town called Rouyn-Noranda in northern Canada. I opened here because there were no other barbershops, only hair salons, which is something completely different. Wyatt showed up with his mother during the first week I was open. He was my first child who had special needs. I figured out how to work with him by getting down to his level. These moments are very special for me. I'm taking great pride barbering here and my community is amazingly supportive towards my shop. People drive up to 4 hours to get a haircut. We usually start by having a candy together and we walk around the shop looking at everything on the walls. The shop is packed with gifts from clients. We can also put some music on vinyl during the haircut. I'm never typically driving the haircut, I simply follow the lead of the child. It takes me more than an hour to finish with a special needs child. It is worth every minute."
After 4 days with NO sunshine and over 3-1/2" of rain, we are smiling and soaking up the rays this morning. It has been a dreary and soggy time over Texas but we always welcome the rain. It makes us appreciate the Sun more too. Thankful for everything God provides!
Once a little dandelion had a very special dream. But for a plant whose roots were in the ground, this dream was strange it seems.
I will tell you her dream, but you mustn't laugh, for a flower she is shy. The dream she dreams every night is that one day she will fly!
Now in this dream there is something strange (as dreams are wont to be),
"I felt myself floating high, as far as I could see! But when I saw myself in my dream, the me I saw wasn't me!"
So everyday she opened her face to the warm golden sun, she grew and grew, she dreamed her dream till an awful change had begun...
"What happened to my yellow face?! My tiny petals are now all gone! What is this fuzziness that I feel?! Have I been dying all along???
The little dandelion, now sad and afraid, stood alone on the lawn. "One more night to dream of flight and then my dream is gone."
She awoke at dawn no longer afraid, the day was bright and clear. A little girl played close by, "What's this? She's coming near"...
The little girl giggled when she saw the funny thing standing there full of fuzz. She ran up to it and plucked it up! The dandelion's mind was all abuzz!
What happened next was like magic! Like nothing the dandelion ever knew! The little girl puckered up her lips and ever so gently, she blew! The dandelion soared into the breeze on a hundred tiny wings! "I am flying!" she yelled. "My dream! My dream! It came true!"
As she floated on the gentle wind, going higher in the sky. The dandelion looked down at the girl who was smiling, waving goodbye.
"Thank you" she thought, "You made my dream come true. Whatever your dreams are sweet girl, I hope they come true too."
Yesterday we watched NFL football games and so it seemed like Sunday. Today we watched College football games and now we thought it was Saturday. I will surely have trouble going back to work. I hope you had fun with family and ate lots of delicious food as you shared all the things you are thankful for out loud.
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