MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Has anyone else experience the inability to sleep in as they grow older? It use to be on a day off I could sleep 10 hours easily but now no matter how tired I am I still wake up close to the same time I do on work days, might get in an extra hour but nothing more, which means I am still up by 8:30am. Not really complaining, just at times it would be nice to sleep in like days of old, since I have no real reason to be up early. I remember thinking how people were nuts for getting up at the usual time on their days off, now I know it isn't a choice, by body clock has changed and I am getting older and doing things older people do. This is really evident when I am camping with my younger friends, they sleep in and I am up at the crack of dawn, part of this comes from being old enough to enjoy and celebrate the peace and quiet of the new day, where as they wake up chatting away. Just saying.

Today will be filled with baking cupcakes, have this easy recipe for pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon chips. I also bought the fixings for peanut clusters and will make them. I will take advantage of the day and clean the house. I have a few presents left to wrap as well. All this will be done to the sound of Christmas music, the Indigo Girls have a wonderful Christmas album, plus my old standby's TransSiberian Orchestra and Jethro Tull Christmas album.

My mom asked my yesterday if I was alright spending Christmas Eve on my own. I told her , it was no biggie since I have done it a lot over the years. She then tearfully said she wasn't, since the kids and dad are all gone she finds Christmas Eve very hard. We decided to have supper together tonight and then I will drive her around town to look at Christmas lights/decorations. It is the least I can do her help her through a tough time. She is 81 years old and may not have many years left. I thought she was worried about my sanity due to the break up and kids being away from home, you know it is all about me. I never thought she would be sad being alone on Christmas Eve. To me it is just another day but to her it still has special meaning, so I will honor it for her.

Tomorrow mom is having Christmas dinner and the gathering at her house. She said this would be the last time, since she fears not being able to handle it in the future. My mom and sister are doing the turkey and I am doing a ham plus the honorable green bean casserole. My aunts and cousins will all being food, so there will be plenty to eat. I will help set things up this afternoon and again tomorrow. My plan for tomorrow is to get up, put the ham in the oven, then drive out to visit with my dad and give him his Christmas coffee, the cemetery is only 15 miles from here. Mich and the kids should be down about 2pm, they are spending the morning with her boyfriends family. We will open presents in the afternoon.

My gratitude goes out to being sober and awake. If not for these factors I wouldn't be "present" to do these things. My Dickensian Christmas Past is filled with being foggy headed, holding off until mid afternoon to start drinking, waiting for the cold elixir to calm my nerves and clear my head, to bring a false sense of merriment to the day. Like Scrooge, I woke up from a Hell filled dream to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

My thoughts and prayers of positive energy go out to those struggling this Christmas, which includes my blogger friends. A friend of mine in Kearney is spending the last Christmas with her terminal ill son, his days in this life are numbered. She has wrapped herself with the love of God and Fellowship and is doing the best she can to be strong for him. Two of the families we work with have experienced tragedy in the last few days. One was the death of a surrogate grand daughter from child abuse. If there is a God and Jesus I hope this 3 year baby is bring cradled in their loving arms, along with all the other babies who have suffered at the hands of sick adults. The other death hits closer to home. The husband/father of a family we work with died from alcoholism, mom was on the road of recovery but dad was caught in his addiction. He choked on his own vomit in his sleep. I have been praying mom has a strong enough connection with the fellowship and other supports to make it through this horrible time in her life and those of her young children, from what we know she is staying with her mother and given free counseling. Next week the Partner who has been working with her will non forcefully see what additional supports we can offer.

I know Jesus is the reason for the season but I feel the Buddha would appreciate it too. Any time or occasion when people go out of their way to show an extra bit of love and compassion would be approved by him. I may not pray to Jesus but I honor his true message of peace, love and compassion. His message of treating all equally, riding ourselves of intolerance and prejudice. My favorite story is of the Good Samaritan, it was one of his most powerful messages for our world today.

Well my friends, I hope everyone has a peaceful and loving Christmas, one celebrated in your heart of hearts. For those who might of missed in the previous post it has pictures of our new office.

My the God of your understanding Bless each and every one of us!!!

Love
Scott