Saturday, December 26, 2009

IT"S OVER!

I find it difficult to believe that Christmas has come and gone already. Perhaps even more amazing to me is the recognition that in a few days this whole decade will come to an end. In my mind it was only a short while ago that so many of us were all in a panic over Y2K. So where did those ten years go?

One of my granddaughters is 10 the other is 9, so I know a lot of time has gone into investing in their lives, yet some how I think perhaps not as much time as there should have been. I didn’t realize the time would fly buy quite a quickly as it has. But isn’t that a silly statement? We all know time fly’s buy and the older you get the faster it fly’s.

Eileen and I will be married for 35 years on January 1, 2010. Once again I am forced into the recognition that the space between 25 years of wedded bliss on the infamous Y2K year and 35 years of wedded bliss has simply vanished like the steam from a kettle, into the surrounding air. I guess I am a bit wiser, though that may be a point for debate, especially in the light of my continued lack of understanding about the importance of shopping in a womans life, and that sustained conversation, with great details added, are critical to our continued sense of intimacy and yes, phone conversations when she travels are required to last more than ten words. ..“How are you? How was your day… fine, good night!”

My children are now officially adults and my mother officially has a senior citizen for a son.

Perhaps beyond the thoughts of grandchildren, grown children, a healthy mother and a healthy long term sustained marriage my mind also turns to thoughts of my spiritual life.

I wonder if the past ten years has been kind to me spiritually. Have I allowed the Spirit of God access to my personality to be able to reproduce in me the fruit of His Sprit: love, joy , peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self control. Sometimes I feel not. Then other times I feel we are making progress, God and I working away at the inner diseases of selfishness, pride, control issues, my constant propensity to be addicted to stuff like success or isolation or food or whatever! Whenever I get too introspective, which is way too often, and I feel like I am just not progressing the way I should be progressing and achieving what I think I should be achieving I am reminded of saying that my wife in her wisdom brings to my attention and often says to me in my darker hours,

“You may not be what you ought to be. But thank God you’re not what you used to be. And it’s not yet told what you’re going to be”

Ok, it’s not over yet! Bring on the next ten! Be patient, God and my wife are still working on me! I wonder if they both will get their way

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

‘Twas the Weeks Before Christmas

‘Twas the weeks before Christmas and all through the town,
the people were frantically running around.
The charge cards were maxed out with no room to spare,
in hopes that the lottery soon would be theirs.

On Costco, on Zellers, on Biancos they rushed,
With nary a thought that they soon would be bust!
Don’t worry, don’t worry, they called out to each other,
we’ll pay for this somehow, even borrow from mother.

‘Tis the season for giving, and gifts we must have,
for mothers, and brothers, and sisters, and Dad!
For cousins, and nephews, and uncles, and aunts,
must not be left out of this Christmas-time rant.

It can not be Christmas if we do not spend,
and overindulge in the booze to the end.
And eat too much turkey, and stuffing, and pie,
end up fighting, this is Christmas? … “Oh, my my!”

When what from the road side in my eye did appear?
But a Living Nativity and shepherds so near!
A donkey, and angels, a child like the Christ,
and carols of wonder and heavenly delight.

An old fashioned Christmas from a time long ago,
when spending, and drinking, and fighting, weren’t so.
And the gifts that were given didn’t come from a shelf,
the gift that was given was the gift of yourself.

So maybe this season will be different somehow,
We could ring some kettles, or volunteer now!
To give the gift, that can not be bought,
with money, and stuff that will all be for ‘nought.

But learning a lesson from days since long past,
would give the gift, that forever will last!
A gift that is given, not from a shelf,
but the real gift of Christmas, the gift of yourself.

A little poem I wrote for publication in the South Side Story, availble after December 6, 2009