Beware Blue Monday
read the article here if you’re interested
I’m a sucker behind the psychology of this sort of thing. I wonder how much the power of suggestion is going to play into our feelings about Blue Monday. I know I am going to take some additional proactive steps, just to try and head it off. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Tomorrow is also MLK Day, which means a lot of people are off work (sorry to those of you who aren’t!). Let’s all try to remember the teachings of MLK and the idea of equality that he was so focused on. We still have such a long way to go.
Reflections on Christmas Eve
I hope most of you are in the company of people you care for, and who care about you. Something about Christmas makes everyone take a moment to reflect. Whether they believe in the power of the birth of Christ or not, people are someone taken by the spirit of this season, and all of the good that goes along with it. We all seem to embrace the idea of giving to those in need, in appreciating the things we have, and of celebrating the relationships we have. I feel some sort of common ground with everyone at this time of year. It seems to strip away our differences and leave us with nothing more (or less) than the knowledge that we are human, and in need of each other.
I was on my way home from doing some Christmas shopping the other day. As I came around a curve on a small, residential road, I pulled up right upon a wreck that had just happened only a second before. One car (we’ll call this car #1) was sitting sideways in the middle of the road, while smoke billowed from underneath the hood. The other car (car #2) had skid across the road, through someone’s yard, and into a tree. I quickly pulled over and rushed to the cars to see if anyone was hurt. An elderly African American couple were the occupants of car #1. The older gentleman was getting out from behind the wheel, limping along with his cane to examine the damage as I came up to them. Thank God everyone was ok. I’m so surprised there weren’t at least some minor injuries. I chatted with the older couple, and finally convinced the guy to have a seat since it would probably be a while before the police would get there to write it up.
Emerging from car #2 was a middle-aged “soccer mom”. She was visibly shaken up, almost to the point of tears. She had, thankfully, just dropped off her 4 year old son with her husband and was on her way to work. She called her husband, who was there in a matter of minutes, with 4 year old in tow.
As all of this unfolded, a few neighbors from nearby came out from their various houses. One older hispanic looking woman directed the traffic around the car #1 that was still in the road. A young African American dad and his daughter came out, bringing snacks and toys to occupy the busy little boy that was much more interested in anything within close proximity to the street.
I started pulling out things I had in my car: a classroom calendar with little velcro dates you can place accordingly, a counting matching game, and most importantly, marshmellows.
It seemed like forever before the cops actually showed up. Since I had no where I needed to be, I stuck around and, if nothing more, tried to keep the kids involved in something. Over two hours had passed before I finally offered to run down the street and pick up some lunch for everyone. I sped over to McD’s and ordered a sackful of burgers. As we sat around and ate our picnic lunch, I was struck with a sense of overwhelming gratitude. Here I was, in the midde of a potentially chaotic situation, but was able to witness people from all walks of life offering all that they had. I really have no idea what social status anyone belong to… and it really doesn’t matter. It was quite a site to see everyone come together, despite the many differences that has the ability to separate us from each other.
I think this is how it was meant to be. This captures the true spirit of Christmas, reaching out to those in need, regardless of whether or not you feel like what you have is enough to offer. I have a feeling there is rarely anything that is not appreciated.
I hope I have the opportunity to do that more. I want to be able to love in spite of circumstances. I want to be able to reach out and touch someone in a positive way, regardless of how inadequate I may feel.
May we all have these opportunities in our lives.
Going back in time
Like so many other people around the world, I am visiting my family for the holidays. They live in a tiny little mountain town in north Georgia. I actually grew up in Atlanta, but we moved farther north at the end of my 7th grade year (what an awful time for any kind of life transition! Junior High years are hard enough as it is!)
Is it just me, or does everyone seemingly go back in time when they are around family for an extended period of time? Suddenly, I feel like I’m 14 again. All of our silly little neuroses that are endearing and amusing when simply experienced from afar make me want to find the nearest heavy object to bash into my head repeatedly. The nagging and excessive worry on my behalf nearly sends me over the edge on a regular basis. I guess I just don’t know any other way.
I’m the first to admit that I have really grown up a lot over the past several years. It has taken a really intentional effort to take some small steps in, well, any direction really. It’s not a pleasant experience to be stunted in any sort of way.
So, imagine my horror when all of the steps I’ve taken go out the window, with only the utterance of a single word. It’s not necessarily the word that brings out my inner adolescent, but the tone and underlying unspokens that go along with it.
Dang, it sure takes a lot to grow up. I’m still learning, and still messing up. But, I guess any progress at all is a good sign, indeed. Though still, it makes it really obvious to me just how much I need the one and only One that’s bigger than myself and my situation. That repeated realization can only be a good thing.
photos from Bethlehem
I went through the Walk Through Bethlehem a week ago. A local church creates a little Bethlehem town that you can walk through and see different shops and how some of the things were done around the time of Christ.
Check out the photos from it. Unfortunately, the lighting was awful, and the flash sort of ruined the mood. Still, take a look:
Just Another Pilgrimage 