Your Holiday Spirit~ What Christmas is to You! (homes, closing)

[Summering]

Today I returned from a small intimate party. I found myself enjoying the company of both old and young people. What a delight to talk with everyone.
One young lad helped Me and Mr Summering, and he was such a sweetheart.
He helped clear the tables, wrap up the foods, and his humor was so full of the spirit I love to see in someone yet to enter the big, wide world......
His spirit makes me smile.....

For some odd reason on the way home I was thinking of the winter of 1944 at the Battle of the Bulge. Inhospitable weather, snow......Most hardly knew what day it was. Many did extraordinary things.......on that Christmas spent in a different place and time. No coats.......No warm clothing. This cold, miserable Christmas spent away from home, answering the call of ones Country.

So here we are this Christmas.........the economy is bad. Things don't look to good towards the future.

But we are here on our own land........in warm homes.......with nice warm coats. We have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas.

Time with family and friends means more then a gift.........but gifting someone you love is quite fun. With Christmas approaching swiftly........
What am I thankful for........
For the service men who protect us here........For My family. For nice warm things.........The lights I saw tonight beckoning in the Holiday Season.
I'm thankful for you guys here in NEPA too........Its fun to come and speak with ya'.......I'm glad we all are INTERNET friends!

[DavidWebb]

Unfortunately, for our family the Christmas season isn't much fun anymore. This Saturday, the 20th, is the anniversary of my brother Johnny's passing 20 years ago 6 days after his son's birthday. He went into a coma on Tuesday the 13th and left the following Tuesday without ever coming out of it. This was the second time we had to bury one of my brothers. The first time being in 1974 when my brother George was killed in a car accident while stationed in Wherl, Germany. Jeep slid on ice and hit a tree which he hit with his head. The other PFC that was with him driving back to base also died in the accident. My brother had only a few weeks to go till he was discharged. Then in October '94 my oldest brother, Lenin, passed away. Both Lenin and Johnny passed away from complications brought on by AIDS. Lenin was gay and contracted the disease while on vacation in Rio de Janeiro. Johnny caught it from a woman since he was always a lady's man and had girlfriends all over Brooklyn and Manhattan. I tell this so that people will understand that AIDS doesn't care if you're gay or straight, man or woman. If you're not careful and don't use protection you run the risk of contracting AIDS or some other form sexually transmitted disease. My brother Johnny suffered the most with AIDS since he caught it when we didn't have the medical knowledge or the medicine available we have now to treat it. It got to the point where he didn't recognize anyone except for my mother and his wife, at the time, since they were there with him till the end. His mind actually went back in time approximately 30 years. He would remember places, people, or events that happened years ago. But something 5 minutes ago he couldn't. He would also claim he "saw" or "talked" to a family member even though they had passed away years ago. Lenin didn't experience such events since by the time he was diagnosed with AIDS the medical community had already made great strides in medicinal treatments for it. He didn't lose his mind but he did lose a lot of weight. He passed away quietly in bed after my mother made it to the hospital that morning to see him. Sorry for putting such a damper on the holiday spirit theme of this thread but for me the spirit of Christmas means, above anything else, a time to reflect on what we have, what God has given us, and a time to remember that life is precious and everyday should be unwrapped like a precious gift. Because we never know if we'll ever see another. But, then, everyday should be treated as such. Not just during Christmas!! In closing, I wish everyone here a very merry Christmas and a very happy New Year. May everyone enjoy the holidays with family and friends and remember that as hard as you think life may be to you...there are others that are sleeping on the streets somewhere with nowhere to go and there just as many going hungry everyday.

[AmeriKenArtist]

I have my share of losses at this time of year. One particular December I lost a brother, grandfather and best friend. On top of all that trauma, I endured the realization of an infidelity. But that is the nature of life, here on this earth asylum!

Apart from all the traditional reasons that we enjoy Christmas, I realized last night that Chritsmas with decorations are just perfect for climates such as ours in the northeast. Not long ago, I was photographing the beautiful autumn leaves. Now I am enjoying MULTIcolored lights and shiny ornaments! The holiday colors are a comfort in contrast to the low temps and bare trees.

[Jungle George]

As I wrote in another thread, we're given one huge gift every day that a lot of us seem to ignore...

This gift is "Hope".

Hope for a better tomorrow.
Hope for a more enlightened new generation.
Hope that MAYBE once, there will truly be "peace on earth, good will to all".
Hope that mankind can finally put an end to it's constant bickering & fighting.
Hope....what a wonderful gift!!

To me, this is the Spirit of Christmas...


First World War.com - Feature Articles - The Christmas Truce

[Summering]

My heart really feels sad for everyones losses.......I lost my Mom too just after the holidays not long ago. My Dad before the holidays. I knew that they would want us to still go on making the holidays happy for the " little fellows" and the our girls...The first Christmas was surely the hardest. Sometimes it isn't easy when the memories come rushing back. But, knowing what they would want of me.......I charge on.
It becomes easier when you see the glowing face of a child .......when you watch them decorate your tree.....or sit on Santas lap.
The Circle of Life..........The Circle of Life........We are all a part of that.......

[memoriesbre]

FAMILY, it's all about family.

[Retired Law 08]

Family...friends..good food..drink...being thankful for what you have...

[lialleycat]

Christmas for me brings memories of those who have passed on. I have lots of ornaments and decorations that I've been given from people who are no longer with me and I treasure them and remember them when I decorate my home. As Summering refers to, you honor those who have passed on by remembering them and enjoying the holiday as they would have.

Christmas is also hope for the future, the coming year is a gift, we may not have all of the days, but the days that we get we should live to the fullest.

There was a quote I read somewhere that I thought was cute, "Christmas is the love that is around you when you stop opening presents and listen"

[weluvpa]

Expensive pain in my ass.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by weluvpa

Expensive pain in my ass.

Ahhhhh.......Where is your Joy? I find spending on people I love heartful...
I bet deep down inside you do too.....