#1081
Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!
Everyone celebrates the holidays in a different way. It’s a family time, if you have family, and a friend time, if you have friends. It’s basically a cheerful time and a time to celebrate. For many it’s a memory time, even a melancholy time, depending on what has taken place over the years.
For me, the day after Christmas takes on much more meaning than Christmas because December 26th was my mother’s birthday.
If your mom is no longer living, I’m certain you think of her deeply on her birthday. The 26th is a day I am flooded with memories of perfectly cooked meals, unlimited transportation, endless entertainment in our home, and her driving goals to make certain my brother and I were headed in the right direction — both educationally and ethically, both with manners and character.
Those gifts were never wrapped up under a tree. Rather, they were delivered daily, completely transparent, with total passion, and with an unyielding consistency that ended with positive outcome for my brother and myself. Table manners, diction, fashion, education, and social interactions were among the daily life lessons that helped create my character, persona, personality, and my being.
Those are the gifts I am grateful for — even though there may have been some obstinate actions on my part at the time those gifts were being given. Probably because I never considered them gifts until her passing.
There’s an old expression that says, “The older you get, the smarter your parents become.” I wish I could tell my parents in words the gratefulness I feel in my heart — and the holiday season always seems to magnify those feelings.
If your mom is alive, please call her or talk to her today, and tell her how much you love her and how grateful you are for all of the things she has done for you. And whenever her birthday is, make it a special celebration by recalling how grateful you are for the treasures she has given you and the wisdom she has transferred to you.
I wish you the happiest emotions this holiday season — and whatever holiday you hold dear, make it a celebration of joy beyond presents.
