Christmas Eve, 2016

It's Christmas Eve, 2016.  It's a Saturday morning and I'm having alone moments.  My husband took our three pups to the park and I'm contemplative in the calm before the festive storm.  Sitting here thinking of people's stories and what makes them who they are. The other day as I was getting my hair done, a woman began telling me her story.  Her mother died in May, she was 90.  A few days after the funeral a woman  told her she was adopted; that her mother was not her biological mother. This woman is in her 50's.  Can you imagine?  I was full of questions.  I asked her if she ever felt as if  her mother  tried to tell her the truth about her unknown genealogy.  She told me while on her death bed her mother asked her, "What color are my eyes?"  The daughter, thinking  she was just probably delirious because she was so close to death, dismissed it and just answered, "My eyes are green mom."  The mother continued.  "What color are my eyes?"  And the daughter answered again, "Yours are blue."  "What does that tell you?", the mother responded.Apparently the woman tried to tell her daughter she was adopted; that she wasn't the birth mother.

When my mother in law was about eight years old she was in a horrible accident .  She was bedridden for probably a year.  A motorcycle hit her and she almost had to have her leg amputated.  Back in those days it would have been immediately cut off,if not for her very strong, stubborn mother. Unfortunately, my mother in law's accident molded her with bitterness, fear and a victim mentality.  Don't get me wrong, she was strong and had good points, but it was obvious she would not forgive the driver who hit her.

We all have stories. We all have issues.  And they affect our lives.  For the good, or for the bad, the things that happen to us shape us and mold us to make us who we are.  The thing is though, we decide how the events in our lives shape us. For the bad, or for the good?  We choose. Whether we want to believe it or not, we have control over how we react and how we will perceive life.   It's not easy sometimes, I know for sure, to let the tragedies, the odd twists, and the hidden secrets help make us better people.



This last year, 2016,  has been good to me.  I'm hoping 2017 will be even better.  Although I'm in denial about who has been chosen to lead this country of ours, I'm still hoping for the best.  I have decided to let the next four years mold me into a stronger person. I've decided to let this help me follow Martin Luther King, Jr, Gandhi, and my favorite, Jesus, examples by making sure that love and peace wins out over hate, prejudice and especially fear. Not an easy task!!  I decided  a long time ago that if something causes fear, I will intentionally move far away.  Fear is not of God, as the bible says.

My daughter in law and son will be welcoming their first baby into our world. A boy!  They will call him Brighton, Brighton Mac.  I am totally in love with this name. It moves my heart and now I feel as if I know him.  It's a strong, powerful name.  I can't wait to see him.  I imagine he'll have the same beautifully, shining black hair as his father, and probably green or blue eyes.  Both his parents are so good looking it would make you jealous.  And their spirits?  Wow...both mother and father are strong willed, passionate and extremely loving.  Brighton (I love saying that name) will be his own boy, someday, his own man.  I hope the he chooses to let love and forgiveness mold the stories in his life.



So, it's time to wash, vacuum, set up and get ready for a day filled with love, giving, and hope. Hope for the future.  Hope for my children and grandchildren.  I am one lucky woman to have such an amazing family who love me and their father as we are. They have loved us through the good and the bad.  Thank God for them; they are indeed a gift to us.  Prayer and hope go hand in hand, and I'm a woman of hope.  I hope this year my faith, especially,  will only become greater.  And to everyone I truly wish you peace.  Peace to you,  and peace for our small, imperfect planet.



Love to you!!!!

Couldn't end a blog without Dave, now could I?  I hope you listen!