We are rapidly approaching the big day! The holidays are a time for celebration of the birth of Jesus. Sometimes this gets forgotten in the mayhem of shopping for gifts, preparing meals for many guests, etc. Take a moment to just enjoy a bit of quiet to reflect on your life and note the blessings you truly have. It will help you to focus on what this season offers to us, things like joy, peace, love, thankfulness, forgiveness and so many more.
You may be missing a loved one this Christmas for the very first time. This can be so hard to deal with. Know they will remain in your hearts forever and treasure the moments you shared. These moments, while making you feel sad, will also remind you of them and how much they were loved. They are as close as your thoughts.
On Tuesday this week I celebrated a luncheon with so many other volunteers from Wellspring. The food was fabulous! The main thing though was seeing so many people who joined this organization to volunteer their time. They have 96 volunteers, plus the friends of Wellspring. If they had to pay staff, they would have to employ 140 full time positions! That blew me away. It also showed me peoples’ determination to help in any way they can. Many of the volunteers are past cancer survivors who are now giving back to those who helped them through their difficult times.
I joined because I had helped children with cancer in hospitals in Minsk, Belarus and in Cherkassy, Ukraine. We offered play programs and Reiki to these children and their parents. The children were pain free for over 3 days! The power of play is truly amazing. When children relax, so do their parents. Later in my life my sister-in-law passed on from cancer. Later still when my parents were in their 90’s they succumbed to cancer as well.
Noting how important play is, I remind you to have some play in your lives as you celebrate this holiday season. It is wonderful to connect with friends and family you may not have seen for a while. Many of my friends and family have new little ones to bless their lives. My 6 grandbabies range now from 8 years down to 3 years. I love to see via Skype how they tear into their gifts. Clothes are flung away while toys are almost devoured. This year we are blessed to be able to watch this process in real time. I love the expressions on little faces as the excitement builds. It truly is a gift for the adults.
I was so proud of my youngest grandchild, who had been given $3 by her father (my son) to buy something. She said to him others needed this more than she did. She gave her money to the Salvation Army kettle! I am also proud of her parents who have instilled values into her little life. If she can get that, then there is hope for our world.
Thank you to all the people who have supported me in my business this year. You are all truly appreciated. Without you I would not be here. I am blessed to know every one of you from near or far. Thank you as well for giving me feedback on these newsletters and how you could relate to some of them.
Happy holidays everyone and may 2018 bring you great blessings!
