It occurs to me that I've always known that Christmas is December 25. Even as a very young child I was too excited to sleep just knowing Christmas would be arriving the next day and I knew full well what day it was because we had been counting down for 24 days on the calendar each day until December 25 arrived – and oh the joy that was ours in those 25 days!
My Dad was Mr. Christmas! Two little girls waited with great anticipation as the snow fell like giant goose feathers outside our winter wonderland home. “Here he comes!” Mother would announce as she flung the door open. With a jolly face of a triumphant hunter of Christmas trees, Dad would bring the very center of our Christmas celebration into the house and across the room to the very spot that he had prepared earlier. Snow falling off the tree and onto the carpet, but not to worry. The smell was heavenly and my sister and I would stand together and take great, deep breaths full of the fragrant Scotch Pine. Dad would sing as he skillfully attached the tree to the stand and up it would go, perfect in size, shape, and freshness. We would giggle and clap our hands.
Next, we were put to work. He laid the lights out onto the carpet in a long string, he plugged them in and if it didn’t work we were to twist each one to see if it was the culprit, was it loose or burned out for good? The lights were multicolored and in the early years, they were shaped like snowmen or Santa Claus! Later all the lights were the large teardrop shaped, always colored, red, green, blue and gold with a few oranges mixed in although they were not my favorite but I accepted them anyway. Once the lights were in perfect order he would tuck them into the soft branches already lit and suddenly, magically, the Christmas season began.
Next came the ornaments that had been so carefully tucked away and stored with great reverence. Blown glass German ornaments that cost a fortune today were purchased at the “5 and Dime” in those days. I loved each and every one of them and Sue and I watched with wonder as Dad carefully placed them in just the right spots. We were allowed to handle them and love them and pointed out bare spots on the tree for Dad to fill. Oh, how the ornaments glimmered when they were placed near a light! Next came the silver strand icicles. Sue and Mother and I held out our arms and Dad draped our share of silver over them. We were cheerfully instructed on how to place them and we were assigned a branch which we decorated with great pride.
Skillfully, Dad did the rest and then we stood back and knew that it was a job very well done and again two little girls would clap and giggle with delight. Dad knew just how to water the tree adding an aspirin and the tree would drink and drink for days, keeping the branches supple and the fragrance heavenly. Another year, another success and off we’d go to Grandpa ’s house to see his tree.
Now if Dad was Mister Christmas, well Grandpa was Father Christmas! His tree was always magnificent and he even had Bubble lights! Some on the tree and even some in a ring around the tree stand! He would even buy Christmas Logs for the fireplace that would send up gentle flames in red and green with the gold.
Outside, the roof line of the house was outlined in colored bulbs. A wooden cutout of a larger than life Santa waving his hand to welcome guests stood next to a wooden cutout of a life sized sleigh and life sized reindeer and life sized elves. All standing in the snow on the front lawn, skillfully illuminated with a soft spot light. Classy they were, not extreme or tacky and expertly made by this carpenter we called Grandpa. The aroma of Grandma’s holiday baking mingled with the scent of the tree. Candy canes were for the taking and Christmas sheet music awaited my sister and me to play on the piano.
Two little girls, by means of these cheerful preparations, were taught what Christmas was all about; Celebrating the birth of our Savior with all these symbols to remind us the great commemoration it was.
Santa would be arriving soon joyfully waving and calling out to us perched upon the shiny red firetruck as he entered the small downtown where we would bundle up against the winter cold and wait in a line with other red nosed, wide eyed children to sit on Santa's knee to make our one Christmas wish.
Ahh, the Christmas wish. I had given it much thought before climbing up upon Santa’s knee. Only one wish allowed so it had to be the right one. Even then I knew that there were things I wanted but knew I couldn’t have so I fit my wish within the realm of possibilities. So I had given it much consideration.
And now, once again I’m counting down to Christmas. I’ve known it was coming for quite some time so I prepared myself by giving careful thought to my Christmas wish, knowing that I can’t have Dale with me or many of the other things that are out of the current realm of possibilities, I've decided on a good, simple, peaceful one. Simply that I may have peace.
Why is it that I am well aware of December 25th and make such complete and full preparations and yet when the candles are lit on my birthday cake and I’m asked to make a wish and blow them out…I’m suddenly surprised and come up with a wish as I inhale and as I exhale I watch the little fire lights flicker out and I already regret that I’m just using the same wish I wished last year and the year before and the year before that…you know…the one that didn’t come true?
And why is it that the act of making New Year's resolutions sneaks up on me? The New Year's Eve party I'm ready for, the New Year's day activities are well planned but each and every year the idea of making resolutions for the new year sneaks up on me and I hustle to come up with a list and sadly, (much like the birthday candle fiascoes) it's almost always the same list which I’m realizing, after many failures, that a list of resolutions scratched out in a hurry-up New Year’s Eve moment are actually just quick wishes with no actual resolve whatsoever, but in my defense, written none the less with good intentions (which I may concede is a step beyond the birthday wish).
I read recently that 90% of the things that we do are based on habits. And achieving success in our resolutions depends upon on making or breaking habits. Or as J. Paul Getty suggests (with a bit of experience I’d say):
The individual who wants to reach the top must appreciate the might and force of habit. He must be quick to break those habits that can break him – and quick to adopt those practices that will become the habits that help him achieve the success he desires.
And Jack Canfield (the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul) instructs:
Whatever habits you currently have established are producing your current level of results. More than likely, if you want to create higher levels of success, you are going to need to drop some of your habits and replace them with more productive habits. Good or bad habits always deliver results.
Ok! So I can list my resolutions (or areas for which I desire success) but back it up with what habits I need to change or make in order to be successful. Then add the steps I need to take to work on making/breaking those habits. Now that’s a more systematic approach and holds a better chance for the hope of “resolution” success rather than just making a list of the desired results!
He goes on to suggest that it’s best to choose just 4 habits to work on in the course of a year since it takes 13 weeks of repeating a behavior for it to become a habit.
So why shouldn’t I make a New Year’s resolution list with only 4 items (with its accompanying habit to make or break) and then work on one chosen habit each quarter, working at it gently and kindly but wholeheartedly. Keeping in mind the saying I once heard: “Successful people make it happen - Unsuccessful people make excuses”. So I don’t want to be too kind and understanding to myself while listening to the little voice in the back of my head that is determined to give me permission to make and accept my own excuses. LOL
Hey, the time is going to pass anyway right? So between now and New Year’s resolution time (it won’t be a surprise, I know it’s coming December 31st!), I will give some serious thought to my 4 resolutions.
I remember that on that snowy December day so long ago when "little girl me" climbed up on Santa’s lap, I whispered to him that I wanted a doll (the one that I had determined was my one great wish) Her name was Betsy.
I still have her.
And so while I’m counting down to December 25th, this year I’ll have a separate countdown to New Year’s Eve and by giving it some genuine thought between now and then…I will be ready to make resolutions I will actually have hope that I can keep. That will surely make for a Happy New Year!
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WRITING ASSIGNMENT #38 - HIGH SCHOOL - PART 2
- Did you have a favorite teacher in High School? How did he or she influence your life?
- Did you have a despised teacher in High School? What effect or influence did he or she have on your life?
- Did you attend your school dances or proms? With whom? Describe them, including the clothes you wore, the type of music that was played, the popular dance styles etc.
- Tell about your hopes and dreams at this time in your life and what plans you made.
- What was an historic event that took place during "Your generation"? How did it affect you?
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