A Thanksgiving postscript
Ithoroughly enjoyed Thanksgiving last week. Time spent with the grandchildren is pure joy. I want to maintain a spirit of joy and gratitude, particularly as we continue to deal with the pandemic. More about that later. But first, a transition …
From Thanksgiving to
Advent
When Thanksgiving was over every year, I made the Advent wreath and my family began our observance of Advent. I continued the tradition with my children and, last week, I launched the tradition with my grandchildren. Charlotte, my oldest granddaughter, was particularly excited. She knew I was bringing some things with me to Thanksgiving. Wednesday she said to my daughter, “Grandma Pam is bringing some stuff tomorrow to talk about Jesus. Your mama is a good person!”
I brought the children an Advent wreath ( the candle ring), candles, and some greenery, an Advent calendar, and a Nativity scene. I let Charlotte open one window of the Advent calendar, so that she would know how it worked. She can hardly wait to open the next one.
The Nativity scene
When I was a child, we had a Nativity scene that Mama put on an end table in the living room next to the Christmas tree. I remember going to the living room where the lamps were off and the Christmas tree lights were on. In awe and wonder I looked at that Nativity scene. I looked at the camel and, never having seen one before, wondered if there really was such a creature. That Nativity scene was nothing special. The stable was made from cardboard and the figures were plastic. One time I picked up one of the Wise Men, dropped it and broke the head off! I was horrified. But Mama glued the head back on and all was fine. Because I loved that Nativity scene so, Mama gave it to me when I was in college and I still have it.
The Nativity scene I gave my grandchildren is designed to teach them the Christmas story. The children were delighted with it and had fun putting the figures in place. As they continued playing with the Nativity scene, I began telling them the Christmas story. Right away, there was a parade of questions. “What is government?” “What is a census?” “What is Advent?” “What is a season?” “When does Advent start?” I answered all their questions and they seemed to understand the answers. The experience was first-rate.
Escaping negativity
People are frustrated and discouraged with the seemingly never-ending pandemic. A consequence of that is negativity, which it seems is rampant these days. I noticed that one day last week there were four opinion pieces in the newspaper, all of which were negative. There was a letter from a man who admonished us to “… bring a broom and hold your nose.” Walking through life with a sarcastic attitude must be miserable. As I mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed Thanksgiving last week and it was a delightful opportunity to escape said negativity.
The holidays are here
The holidays are here and we have so much to which we can look forward. We can go through the drive through at D.Q. for a Blizzard and then ride around looking at Christmas lights. We are looking forward to going to see “A Christmas Carol” at Rome Little Theatre. I am looking forward to the special Christmas music at church and subsequently celebrating Christmas in Atlanta with my family. Indeed. The brightest spot in my life, these days is my family.
Choosing joy and gratitude
I have great friends, an extraordinary family, good health, a career I enjoy, and several writing projects currently underway. These are sources of joy and I remember to thank God for it all every day. Make it your goal to be thankful while we look forward to better days.
A Thanksgiving postscript
So I end today’s column where I began, with a Thanksgiving postscript inspiring you to maintain a spirit of joy and gratitude. This is particularly important as we continue to deal with the pandemic. Surround yourself with positive, energetic people whom you know will encourage you. Further, you should always be ready with words of encouragement for everyone you know.