come, children, gather round my knee;
something is about to be.
tonight’s december thirty-first,
something is about to burst.
the clock is crouching, dark and small,
like a time bomb in the hall.
hark! it’s midnight, children dear.
duck! here comes another year.
-ogden nash.
—
art credit: ed gorey, the house
(not our real hands, but good for perspective)
mine is the tinkerbelle hand with a minor ‘injury’ and his, the paul bunyan hand with a major trauma.
waiting in the store checkout line
browsing through my phone
the man in front of me
laughing and chatting with the cashier
saying it was a challenge to sign the receipt
because of his hand
hearing this
turned to face him
beginning to take in the situation
(major cast on his arm and hand)
while i quickly blurted out:
“it’s the worst, isn’t it?!”
whining about having an injury too
he asked me what happened
explaining the battle with my car door
he had a young daughter with him
was so kind and gentle with her
laughing and chatting
just as he had done with the cashier
when i asked him what happened
wondering why he had such a big cast
he told me his story
it involved him trying to stop someone
from stealing his fiancee’s car
and
a dog attack
instant perspective shift
before i could say anything
he turned to go
saying,
“i’m sorry that happened to you and i hope you heal really soon.”
all i could say was, “you too..”
how fortunate the people in his life are
even the strangers he encounters in his day
lucky to cross paths with him
this gentle giant
walks softly
teaching huge lessons.
—
“look at you comforting others with the words you want to hear.”
-author unknown
hope tree, karin zeller
———
buddhist philosopher daisaku ikeda wrote this insightful look at the nature of happiness in his essay collection, “Hope Is a Decision.” ikeda spent 50 years writing the essays in the book. they all relate in some form to the nature of hope, and how we can take it upon ourselves to maintain it, even during tumultuous times. consider it a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you choose to be hopeful, you will be. just like if you choose to try and make others happy, it will increase your own happiness. and, as ikeda also notes in his essay, those choices will “illuminate our final years with dignity.”
yesterday
my sister let us know
she lost her husband
of so many years
on christmas day
in this
the same year
he lost his father
before too long
we’ll fly to her
to be together
for a remembrance and celebration of his life.
—
“sympathy is two hearts tugging at one load.”
-charles henry parkhurst
intense competitors at play in the action-packed shenanigans of
the get the diaper that is around your ankles moved to your bathing suit area without using your hands game
it just wouldn’t be our traditional christmas
without the crazy fun and games.
—
“life is more fun if you play games.”
coco the dog
fully enjoyed the family and friends christmas eve party
and on this fine day would like to wish you all a merry christmas
and
to all a good nap.
—
“christmas is the day that holds all time together.”
-alexander smith
harriet osborne, markers on paper tree
“i
lit
up like a
christmas tree.”
– hazel grace
vnitage pinterest – 1950s new modernist tree
“being excited by stuff on a daily basis, i’m so excited by it.”
-taylor swift
getting ready for the holidays
takes a bit of time
but always worth it .
i hope no one else has this same style.
I didn't have my glasses on.... 