Holidays

[Joe B]

The holidays are here and while for many of us there will be no change in our pain we will have the hustle and bustle of family and friends to visit or to be visited by. I hope everyone gets to enjoy some special activity and that it brings happiness and love into their lives. If you are not able to get out, call a friend or logon to the net and wish someone special cheer.

I find I take a lot of joy in the happiness of others and that it is a pleasant distraction from my pain. And while I know that after January 1 things will quiet down, I can look back at the activities and the sharing of the holidays and enjoy that remembering.

So pick one event, stare at the stars, watch a favorite movie, call someone you haven't heard from for a while and remember the feeling in the coming weeks.

Best wishes to all whatever your beliefs and may you have at least one special moment this holiday season. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

Joe B

[marmalady]

Thank you, Joe B,

It's so easy for all of us to get sucked in by the negatives in our lives; what a wonderful post yours is; we should all remember and try to bring peace to ourselves and those in our lives this holiday season. God bless us, every one! Jackie

[Chris Chappell]

Joe B. Happy Holidays to you and every member of this site.

Onward and upward.

[teena]

What a good outlook, Joe B! I am glad you posted...I wish everybody much comfort, happiness, peace of mind, and God's love this Christmas!
Teena

[Sue Pendleton]

You just reminded me of a snowball fight many years ago, Joe. Thank you.

And don't forget, random acts of kindness are needed year round. Those tins of holiday cookies can be refilled with sandwiches, cookies and tape on a juice carton for your nearest homeless guardian of a street corner. Or if you're cleaning out your closets and linens, the nearest humane society always needs towels and blankets for the beasts who need families.

[Joe B]

Sue

You said my post reminded you of a snowball fight you once had. My question is, "Who won?" Having grown up in Michigan and with 7 brothers, I had lots of snowball fights. The best were when we would first build snow forts and stock up on snowballs. Then one side would charge the others fort throwing snowballs wildly and yelling. We would play until we got so cold our hands and feet were numb.

Other winter pastimes were skating and sledding on the creek that went by the house. I remember being pulled in a sled by my older brothers when the ice gave way under the sled. Most of them made it across the break but not me. Down into the freezing water I went. I floated back up and was pulled out before my coat became soaked through or I might have sunk.

We also used to play a game of dare on the ice. We would take turns running across the ice where the creek flowed. The ice there was thinner and would eventually collapse. You could feel and hear it start to get weaker and weaker and knew it was going to go. I always won being 20 pounds lighter than my brothers but pulling them out after they fell through was a chore.

In the spring, when the ice began to break up and the creek began to flow fast we would cut out icebergs big enough to float on. My most embarrassing ice float ended when a cop waved me in from the berg I was on, took me back to the house, turned on the lights and siren and then said, "Get out." Leaving me to think of a good reason to explain to Mom why a cop brought me to the house.

I'm surprised I survived childhood.

Joe B http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

[Sue Pendleton]

Somewhere between 13 and 17 Christmases became rather sad at my house. After I moved into my own apartment and, later, joined the Army I invented my own ways to celebrate the season so I could enjoy them again. My first year in (West) Germany was heading to be the warmest December on record so on a 3 day break from work I drove the hour and a half down to the alpine valley village of Garmisch. Quite a bit of snow on the ground down there. I was out window shopping one day taking in all the decorated shops and streets, nice things not all made in Hong Kong.

Anyways, in your "live in the moment" memory inducer below I remembered how I came across 2 German boys, probably 8 and 9 or so, having a major snow ball fight with each other in a vacant lot. They reminded me so much of my brothers, gone then, that I put down my packages and joined in. They were so surprised that an Americanerin was whipping some nicely packed ones at them. They soon were doing their best to get me to back down all the time giggling about the foreigner. I finally said enough and I had to get back to my hotel for dinner. They asked me a few questions and I answered in my broken German. They were very surprised to find I was also a soldier. I miss the spontaneity that goes with being able bodied.

I'm amazed you made it out of Michigan alive too, Joe. I remember someone jumping into our lagoon back home after their dog fell through the no skating zone of thin ice. The rescue squad wanted to kill the woman even though the lagoon was only 4 feet deep. Woman and dogs survived and were reheated, both, with blankets and hot chocolate in the warming house. Out here in sissy land everyone skates inside. I miss Wisconsin this time of year.

[Sue Pendleton]

Oh, and I'd call it a 3 way tie. http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/biggrin.gif