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Welcome to the Spiritual Newsletter for December 21st! May this find you safe, warm, and happily expecting the winter holidays.
My name is Love is a Mommy (no foolin) and again, I have a small story to share. |
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Welcome to my newsletter for December! It's the last week before Christmas, the snow is falling in places (thank God not in Atlanta!), and everyone is getting into the holiday rush period right before Christmas.
This weekend, I started thinking though about old sayings and how they turn out to be just nice things that are repeated for the nice way they sound. This certain adage was "It's the thought that counts." This last week, I had a head on collision with someone's thoughts, or lack there-of.
The story started last year at Christmas time when the entire family on archgargoyle's side was finally together. The oldest brother had moved down from Ohio with his entire family and his best friend who eventually ended up marrying my husband's step-sister. It was a joyful time and we all decided that to save money and such, we would all just buy presents for the kids and then the adults would exchange names and do a Secret Santa thing for the following year. After all, the kids are the ones who need the nice things and in a family struggling to make it, it's often the only time they get new toys and such.
Soon after, there was a big family blow-up that separated the families again and the oldest brother and his family moved up to Ohio. The newlyweds ended up divorced and now there's barely a truce holding them together. The thought was that the secret santa thing had dissolved with this huge separation as we were back to a small family and Duck and I went back to buying for everyone. We know it's not the presents that count, but the thought. So I found myself thinking "what does it mean to think about people?"
I didn't think it could possibly, honestly be that I simply buy the biggest thing for the least amount of money for whoever was on my list. I felt that to honestly think about someone, I had to give it a few moments of time. I sat and I thought about the family, about interest, about new things in going on in their lives. I ended up realizing that Duck's parents and step-parents had each bought a new house, that his younger brother and his wife had moved into a new place and his step-sister was having a new baby. Those are pretty major things! So, the couples each got colanders with stuff for the new house and the step-sister got a basket full of spa stuff to pamper herself with. If nothing else, I had fun putting it all together!
So, I'm sitting there in his mom's new house on Saturday and we're exchanging gifts. Everyone loved theirs and I was too caught up in the fun of playing with the kids with their new toys that I didn't even realize it until we left. I hadn't gotten anything at all. I went back through the past few hours mentally and realized that I was the only one left out. Now, as a person who has always felt left out this kind of struck me. I had fun with the kids, I put a lot of thought into presents everyone loved, and still I was the reject of the family. I knew it was just an oversight, but no one even thought about me and I felt it just as keenly as if I had not even been invited. It's even worse than my grandmother giving me socks for my birthday.
And today, I was thinking about it some more and thinking about the thought that counts and about making the thought actually count I started to read through the Christmas stories on the site. Even though I'm only highlighting seven, I realized how the best stories are the ones where the family knew the person, thought about the person, and even if it wasn't even worth five dollars, did their best for that person.
The worst stories are the ones where people tried to make themselves look important all the while missing the true meaning of giving gifts. I find the act of giving a gift is so incredibly beautiful when it fits the person so perfectly, when that moment sticks with them forever, and the feeling of love is so strong it's never forgotten. Why? It says "I thought about you and I wanted to do something perfect to you to remind you that I love you and you are worth thinking about."
I also find that most people don't even care what they get their family and friends as long as they've gotten them something. All that says is "I thought about you enough to put you on this list right here and I allocated some money to your fund. Be grateful, now, even though this is your third toaster in three years."
And then there are the ones out there that are all alone, with no one to give something to and no one to think about them in return. These are the people at work who are separated from their families and struggling with their finances, the men and women in the bars who have no home to go to, the children who were abandoned at birth and now have no faith but only hardness and a survival instinct.
The amazing part is, you'll never know the reality of it unless you think about that person and what their life must be like. You'll never imagine the hardship until you've sat and pondered it for a while. You'll never find time in your busy life to truly care about others until you think about it. Scripture tells us that our thoughts define our words and our words become our actions - so today, what and who are you thinking about?
And on a more cheerful note, who are you grateful to for thinking about you? I suggest thinking about them for a moment and sending them a note or giving them a call - even if it's all you have to offer, the simple gift of being thought of is more precious than anything material they're likely to know.
And send these seven people below a review! 
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Thanks for your comments! I love them
From PastVoices 
Love,
Another wonderful newsletter! I read somewhere once that "Courage is fear that has said its prayers." And, "Fear stands for False Expectations Appearing Real." You left me with a great deal to contemplate. I will be toying with this for a while. Thanks.
Thanks PV! I've heard that before, I just tend to forget it. I think that's a lot of the human disease - we don't remember stuff like we should.
From shyanna
Wonderful newsletter! I think many of us are scared of our self more than anything. I find myself scared of failure or not being the person my family thinks I should be. It took me 36 years to realize that I am my own person and no one can make me like they want me to be and once I discovered that I even began to love myself and accept that each of my failures can only lead to accomplishment. Each of my fears will be meet head on and I come out like a rose. Have you ever noticed before your answer comes or your happiness there always seems to be a black cloud above your life? I think it’s just to sweeten the happiness so that we don’t forget about the small miracles.
Thanks Shyanna! I have actually found that the greatest battles bring the greatest rewards, and I do agree - we must know sorrow to really enjoy joy. I appreciate your comments and they've given me something more to think on.
From Mommy4Life :
Wow! I can so relate! When things are well in life, I can trust God and speak nonstop about his limitless powers. But, when faced with scary circumstances, I sometimes waver. Will he really take care of it for me? But, he always does! Thanks for this newsletter!
Thanks Mommy4Life! I have noticed that, and it constantly astounds me how I waver when things get tough. I do need folks around me to remind me that it all turns out well, and no matter what, God is God.
From readme2:
Your story really captivates what it's like to face a fear and overcome it with faith. When you have to have a surgery or your health fails it can really be a test of faith. Usually, when the test is over, you are made stronger.
Thanks! It's been a hard time and I've had to go back in for surgery on some cysts that formed but now I'm starting to think that I may be stronger for it. I have definitely learned some things about love and life and who will drop everything to take care of me. It's odd the way we have to learn lessons, isn't it?
Much Love until next time! Love is a Mommy (no foolin) |
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Spiritual: December 21, 2005 Issue [#781]
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