Is This Christmas?

looking for the good, the reasons to believe and the best ways to give

thank full I am for the blessings you all bring to my life

my heart

that yearns to learn to help us all make it better

even among the uncertainty

sreno 2009

Darkness and Light

NOvember has always had at it's core a feeling of darkness brought on by the shortening of the days, bringing the outside in and more darkness. I think many of us who were around in 1963 associate the Kennedy assassination with this time of year also. A dark time for our country as it currently seems to be again with all the talk of war games and economic upheaval. So these melancholy feelings are never too far away this time of year for me.

In the last few months, friends and close relatives of friends who have recently passed away bring more to ponder as we climb the age ladder. Even our "senior" dog Maddie seems to be near the end of her time lately and that is tough to see happen. Those of us who remain behind see and feel the effects of the aging on our generations and beyond. You can see why the cost of health care, dying and aging are growing out of control and affect those that are close to them.

So this year my Christmas spirit is a bit dampened. I never usually get into Christmas until closer to the actual day. It is hard as my daughter, Callie and wife Mary, like to get it started right after Thanksgiving. So I try and not be a too big of a scrooge around them. Let them decorate and I fill in when I have to. Which is the light part.

I purchased some lights on sale at the $Store Thanksgiving day, I did put them up on a lone tree outside along with our familiar Christmas wreath that lights up. Callie would like more as in the days when she was younger but Dad isn't Clark Griswold anymore.

I did participate with entertainer and friend Susan in the Festival of Trees again this year a few Sunday's ago playing my Santa Conga Maria for the kids and families who were there. My early holiday attitude must of been coming through as one of the women who were helping out backstage if Santa was over his grumpiness. As usual even though I sweat a ton as does Michael as Rudolf it is always great to see the kids wonderment and smiling faces.

Other sources of recent light are the successful brain surgery of my stepfather Linc over in Detroit where we made a quick trip last Sunday (he is doing well in recovery), friend Jimmy C. doing better and able to stay at home with help from some health professionals, family and friends, because of friend Peter and nephew Dan we got our garage entry door installed before snow and they got me out for a last round of golf at Yarrow on a pleasant late fall day last week, and going out with some of the staff from my old job last week and knowing we miss each other's company.

The point of all this is that even with darkness all around there are rays of light that we need to seek out and savor when they appear. The incredible shine of the full moon in the last week, the rays of morning sunshine of recent days, families coming together, giving time to help those with less than us and the holiday light displays around that are hard to ignore and there to brighten spirits and lift hearts. The Music is there if we choose to hear it. The Soul is there if we choose to feel it. The Light is there if we chose to see it, act and turn the switch on.

So even in a time when a man who seems to have everything still searches for happiness in empty gratifications the real things of substance we come to find out are family and friends actions of love, support and caring. Lessons that hopefully we all learn in time without too much hurt.

Peace to you and yours and may you find joy and light among these anxious days and long nights

to come.