Family Christmas 2012

     My house was so eerily quiet when I got home from work yesterday. I did, however, see a few items that were inadvertently left behind...a cap here, a scarf there, an iPod that someone HAD to come back for! They were little reminders of what an awesome extended weekend/holiday I had surrounded by the people I love most in the whole world! All the noise and chaos was worth every second. I've learned to be okay with a disorderly house for a few days in return for the pleasure of having my precious family in my home. Even though my heat went out on Christmas Day, we survived the night with some borrowed space heaters, and the best service guy in the world was there before noon the next day to fix it. (I'll give you his name and number if you need a heating/AC man) All in all, it was a great holiday full of hugs and love and kisses, and that's what makes it for me!
     I realize it sounds cliche to say that, but I will say it until the day I pass from this life. Maybe it was the way I was raised, not having a lot materially, but always having family in abundance...eleven siblings, ten or twelve aunts and uncles and countless cousins. Family (and all the traditions that come along with it) has always been a constant in my life, my rock, my foundation. I have done my best to instill that same sense of family in my children, who will hopefully pass down that same sense of family and tradition to the next generation as well.
     I'm not sure where I was going with this, but my family was on my heart and mind and I was feeling the void after having had them with me for several days. I am also feeling saddened from losing someone in our family yesterday who was very dear to us all. This man was married to my cousin for decades and remained a large presence in our lives even after the death of my cousin a number of years ago. He continued to not only attend our family reunions, but was always there to participate and help with food preparation or wherever he was needed. Thomas Echols will be greatly missed.
      To describe my family, I would need more adjectives than I probably even know. We're quite an assortment from shy to gregarious, restrained to outspoken, reserved to flamboyant...you name it. I think we complement one another. That's what makes our family dynamic work! And while my children are blessed with an abundance of friends, their siblings remain their very best friends, and that makes me tremendously happy and proud. So maybe my point here is to hold your family dear and hold them close, because as cliche as it may sound, they will be there when no one else is. I firmly believe this is what our Creator intended to be our foundation here on this earth. So carry on those family traditions. Take advantage of and enjoy the time you have together. Make those phone calls regularly and let them know how much you love and appreciate them. Don't let yourself live to regret that you neglected to do this while you had the opportunity.

P.S. I can't recount my Christmas experience without telling this story:
        Since I (shamefully) don't subscribe to the local newspaper or listen to the local radio station, I missed the fact that trash pickup would be on Monday instead of Tuesday as normally scheduled. Well, you can imagine how much trash I had with a houseful of company and with Santa having visited Monday night! So...I contacted one of our city workers to inquire as to whether they had any extra polycarts for which I could pay to have an extra one until next pickup. He informed me that no, they in fact did not. But lo and behold, when I got home yesterday, SOMEONE had taken my overflowing cart and emptied and returned it...someone who knows the real meaning of Christmas spirit, someone I'm proud to call my friend. Thank you, John. You're the best!

My Country 'Tis of Thee...

     I chose to start a blog rather than post on Facebook since I mainly want to speak my mind and not stir controversy as is sometimes the case when I do, since I have such a diverse group of friends in that forum, some of whom can be somewhat argumentative and contentious on occasion. ;-) I am writing this not as any kind of political statement or endorsement, but just something that's been on my mind, and I am saddened by the direction our country is headed. 

     When this country was founded and our constitution subsequently established, America was known throughout the world as "the Land of Opportunity." Yes, people worldwide migrated to the USA for the OPPORTUNITY to work hard and become successful entrepreneurs, teachers, laborers and such so that they could raise their living standards, care for their families and give them a better life than they could have elsewhere. They and their families then gave back to the country that allowed them this freedom by whatever means was available to them, whether simply being good productive law-abiding citizens, helping the needy, even serving in the military, thus making every effort to become a true American. They appreciated the fact that without the opportunities afforded them by the powers that be in their new home, their hopes and dreams for themselves and their families may have been unattainable. Sadly, though America is still the Land of Opportunity, for a very large number of people, unfortunately the opportunity is to come here and take advantage of everything our government is too willing to give them for free, despite the fact many contribute nothing, and then show their appreciation for the freedoms they are given by verbally degrading and disrespecting this new home that they have CHOSEN and one of the few countries where they would even be allowed to do so. Some merely take and give nothing in return and instead of being grateful, instead of assimilating and attempting to become a genuine American and proud to be called so, they want to CHANGE this country to be more like the one they chose to leave!  Help me figure that one out!

     Let me clarify that I am very much in favor of people coming to my country to better their lives and have all the advantages that living in a free country has to offer. I would hope, though, that they have a desire to become Americans and are willing to pay on some level for that privilege, starting with being productive members of society as well as having some degree of loyalty to my country and appreciation for the opportunities extended to them by virtue of living here. 

     Sadly, in my opinion, ours is gradually becoming a nation of entitled ingrates (certainly a large percentage of whom are not immigrants, but that's a blog for another day...), enabled and perhaps even encouraged by gradually failing government leadership on all levels. The gap between the principles upon which America was founded and those on which our present day government are operated is ever increasing.  I don't have the solutions, and this is not something that happened overnight or under one particular administration. I am not at all interested in debating that issue.  Using my privilege as a voter, however, I will vote for a government that I believe promotes the best interests of the nation as a whole, not trying to divide it into minority or special interest groups who seek only to promote what they deem best for themselves. There is far too much focus on the things that make us different and divide us as a nation rather than on our commonalities and things that should unite us. This is very dangerous for our country. I cannot say with any degree of certainty that the party I vote for will fulfill my hopes for this country, but I will vote and pray for the best outcome and that a couple of years from now our country will have benefited from today's election results. God bless America!