CHRISTMAS BLESSINGS

Here we are......Christmas Eve.  One thing about me that hasn't changed is my leaving things till the last minute at Christmastime.  I can remember sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace wrapping presents Christmas Eve afternoon.  It was a frantic affair, but we made it to both Christmases and survived the hurry-scurry.  As of right now, I've not sent any Christmas messages to friends or family.  It's like my heart is frozen, and that's a very difficult thing for me to share.  2024 has not been good to me, and I'm not complaining.  I'm just saying it as it is.  In total honesty, I think our world is sad.  Just think of all those families who lost loved ones through the mass shootings, the individual shootings, the insane violence that has appeared on the scene and intends to stay.  

To say "Merry Christmas" is a wonderful seasonal greeting.  Somehow I prefer to say "May you have a Blessed Christmas."  Oh, I don't mean the blessings of gifts and toys and fancy-wrapped presents that the recipient will exchange for something nicer.  I mean the blessings of peace of mind, contentment in the home and workplace, and most of all the sharing of genuine friendship and love of family.  

My boyfriend and I are blessed with the things most important to us.  We choose contentment over all else.  We are amazingly blessed with our home, situated for the inevitable.  I swear, this aging business is the toughest part of the walk of life.  We are also blessed with good health.  Yes, we must play the numbers game with regard to our well-being.  In this modern age, good health is monitored by numbers.  Some should be high, others low.  The ones that should be high are sometimes low.  The ones that should be low are sometimes high.  That's when we have to adjust our eating habits and whatever is required to lower or elevate the numbers.  We each have our little stash of medications, and we often remind the other to take their meds.  

We are blessed with modern medicine and a young doctor that wears invisible wings.  We are blessed to live within 70 miles of the greatest health care facility in the world, with helicopter transportation close by.  The two of us are blessed with common sense and common thoughts.  What one doesn't think of, the other does.  We are blessed with a family of new friends in our late-life home, and tonight we're having Venny friends over to share Christmas Eve supper......the treasured meal of the year.  We don't exchange presents anymore, simply because we've all had to downsize so much and there's nothing we need.  If we do exchange anything, it's maybe a hostess gift of food or a bottle of wine.  

I can remember sitting at the kitchen table back home writing out over 100 Christmas cards, addressing the envelopes and licking the stamps.  Then taking them to the post office.  We received a few beautiful cards this Christmas, but, sadly, I no longer send cards.  I'm a total techy, and choose the modern way of conveying my sentiments.....online.  Those who know me well, know I'm not one to visit on the telephone, nor do I write letters anymore.  No snail mail for me, but rather web mail.  The message is the same, only the method of conveyance is different.

Our G-clan Christmas was another blessing, especially for me.  My family doesn't celebrate holidays together anymore.  The G's take mighty fine care of me.

For me, Christmas is about the moment.  The now.  I don't mean to sound cheesy, but I am so incredibly thankful for every person who has graced my life with giggles and love, who have shared easy times and hard times by my side, and who have remained loyal to me all the years.  Life has been one ongoing lesson, one ongoing struggle for understanding, one non-stop adventure.  Each of us grows in our own direction, and at the stage where I'm at now.....my world holds only the best of the best.  My heart cherishes each of my faithful blog followers.  Yesterday I received a message from one friend who thanked me for another year of blogs.  To that friend, you are the best of the best, and thank you for those kind words.  Writing this blog is my joy, and when others also enjoy my words, well, that's as good as it gets.

I treasure every past get-together that brought us to giggles and silliness.  The times that were so truly special and spontaneous, that we will never ever forget them.  Christmas, for me, is when I can sit by myself......surrounded by a sea of those fun times that get sweeter as the years go by.  It's kinda like adding more sugar lumps to a cup of coffee.

My rambling must get boring......the purpose of today's post is to wish my followers a Blessed Christmas.  Let's all try to see the good that's in our world and hopefully our differences of opinion will stop dividing us.  

With love, ta-ta..........