2017 December FROM MY PERSPECTIVE
I listened to some Christmas songs in August. Not the ordinary ones, but ones most people
don’t hear on the radio over and over and over for more than 25 days. Songs like:
THERE’S A NEW KID IN TOWN; SOME CHILDREN SEE HIM; THAT SILENT NIGHT;
LIGHT all by Kenny Rogers. Then, there
was: WHAT A WONDERFUL BEGINNING, Lisa
Brokop; WHO IS THIS BABY, The Judds; LET IT BE CHRISTMAS, Alan Jackson; IT
WASN’T HIS CHILD, Skip Ewing; WHAT MADE THE BABY CRY, Toby Keith; A STRANGE WAY
TO SAVE THE WORLD, B.J. Thomas. ‘Refreshing to say the least.
Have you ever said, “I’m sorry”? Well, of course you have, but did you mean
each word to the fullest extent of their meaning? There are 2 ways to say this phrase and each
way means something different. “I’M
sorry”, means only you are sorry; “I’m SORRY” you’re telling a feeling, a noun
(you could put your name in there or another feeling, for example). Looking the person in the eye, if it is
possible, when you say this and telling them why you’re sorry will confirm to
them you truly mean it. IF you don’t
truly mean it, don’t say it. That’s what
I’ve tried to teach my children, because if you don’t truly mean it, those two
words are just that------words.
The heart of a mother is a deep abyss, at the bottom of
which you will always find forgiveness. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850) She kissed away boo-boos; made monster-go-away
spray for you to spray them away; was there when the spray didn’t work and you
crawled into bed with her asking, “Mom, please make the monsters go
away”---then, she laid her hand on your cheek and they went away; make a hot
breakfast on cold mornings; told you she loved you RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR
FRIENDS!; cried with you, but she cried harder; always believed you’d be
somebody terrific; shared her cake or pie with you; made your favorite meal on
your special day; and many, many more things you’ve tucked away in your “memory
bank” and heart.
Pearls….the sign, in the old South, of a lady through and
through. I was raised in the old South---Atlanta, Georgia. My mother wore
pearls which Daddy brought to her from Japan after he returned from WWII where
he’d been a captain on a ship at Iwo Jima. He was from the South……Virginia.
They were quite a pair….the officer and gentleman that he was and the lady
wearing the pearls. When I see a lady wearing pearls, it brings back the memory
of Mother wearing her pearls escorted by the officer and gentleman of her
heart, Daddy.
Teenagers should NEVER accompany you when you shop for
groceries. Your bill will increase by $30+ and the stuff will be
items you’d never dream of buying. I can stave off my hunger while shopping
with rationalization of: “It’ll make you fat; you don’t need it; look at how
much it costs; do you really want people see you eating now?” None of that is
logical with a teenager, especially if it’s a boy.
We’d just finished lunch 30 minutes before entering the
store, so I thought I was safe. Half-way down the produce aisle I heard, “Mom
look at this watermelon. It sounds good. You just HAVE to buy it.” So into the
cart it went. I seldom buy watermelon, especially a whole one. I have no where
to store it until I’m ready to eat it or serve it to the family. I mentioned
this to the “scarf-hound”, who replied, “Oh Mom, I’ll eat half of it when we
get home.” Of this I was certain would happen. I knew I was safe in the onions,
Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, so I hung out there as long as I could. “Mom,
come look at this sale on popped pop corn. You can get a 3 pound bag for $1.50
and it’s usually $3.25. Let’s get it.” Before I could object, into the cart it
went. All I could think of was the 3 movies it will take to empty the bag and
the residual pieces on the carpet, couch, and airborne. I had to pass the deli
department to get to the eggs, which is why I really went to this store to
begin with. The eggs were less than a dollar a dozen; good buy because we go
through a dozen in less than a week. Imagine that, and I know you’re wondering
why. Drawing my attention to the salads, he mentioned/cried/announced that his
favorite potato salad was “ON SALE”. Three pounds of it went into the cart with
a promise of eating some of it for supper. He had, also, ordered a slice of
“HUNGRY MAN’S” pizza when I wasn’t looking or listening. He carried that. As I watched the cart explode and the bank
account implode, I got him to go look for some obscure product like fried
elephant ears while I inched toward the check-out lane. He bought the hunt and
I scooted into the lane. I was pretty happy I was surrounded by other people
because when he appeared with a very perplexed look and frustration on his face
of not being able to find the item, I knew he’d not dare argue that we
needed/he wanted more of what he liked than of what was needed. I ran the card
through the scanner and was relieved it didn’t blast out an announcement of
“Over drawn; sale not valid.” The next
time I go to the grocery store, he’s staying home to dust the house with a
Q-Tip and run the vacuum cleaner twice.
My friend was typing a message to me and sent it before she
was finished. She messaged me with, “I
hate it when I hit the shift key before I’m finished.” I responded with, “Shift happens, Dianna,
shift happens.”
Remember the look your mother gave you when words wouldn’t
suffice? Well, "that look" is
based on faith and experience, as well as discipline of caring. My mother gave me "that look" and a
raised left eyebrow was with it at times, usually when I questioned her. Then there is "that look" coupled
with squinty eyes, clenched teeth with tight lips pursed, and a slight turn of
the head. Oh gosh, that one you didn't
question, but tried to find solace/refuge/safety in your room, under the covers
pretending to be asleep or sick. Funny
how history repeats itself. My children
got the same looks I received when I was growing up. Hmmmm, maybe it's in the gene pool or
something like that.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: I just ate a box of Girl
Scout's THIN MINTS. They didn't make me thin. Girl Scouts now lie AND sell
cookies!!! YEESH! My friend, Carole,
told me she’d tried it, too, and all she got was fresh breath.
I was told, “When one door closes another always
opens.” Well, that may be true, but the
hallways are a real pain in the patoot.
Brenduhh came over with some big envelopes. I asked her what they were for as we sat down
for a cup of coffee. She told me,
“Watch. I’m going to send a voice mail
to some people,” and with that, she talked into the envelopes, sealed them, addressed
them, and put a stamp on them. I had to
step away from the table. After she
licked and stamped the envelopes, she lamented to me about losing weight. “I just can’t seem to lose weight; in fact,
Trudy, I’m gaining,” Brenduhh cried to me.
“I’ve been taking these watching weight diet pills and they aren’t
working,” she continued. “How many do
you take a day?” I asked. “Well, they
really taste good, so I usually eat about 10,” she said. “Gods, Brenduhh!! I never heard of one taking 10 diet pills a
day. Where did you get them?” “I found them at the grocery store. Here are some I brought with me,” she said
handing them to me. Sure enough there
was an emblem which read “W & W” until I turned them around. “Brenduhh, these are NOT diet pills. You’ve been reading them upside down,” I told
her sweetly.
The “one of a kind”, “God broke the mold”, “Ain’t nobody
like them” people have their own set of rules to live by. Seems those rules are
pretty much tried and true and based on “what’s right it right, what’s wrong is
wrong”. I like those people…..they’re real, dependable, and honest. I was raised with a lot of people like
that. They and their ways gave me
stability, taught me what is really important in this world and the guide lines
to live by, and took me down a notch or two when I needed it all the while
letting me know I was still loved. They
weren’t just relatives, some were neighbors, some lived simple lives and worked
hard, and some stepped into my life for a little while then left. I believe everyone has a purpose when they
come into your life. They all teach you
something, and they all are on a time schedule.
Some are there briefly, some stay a while, and others are there until
they draw their last breaths. I’ve seen
it happen and experienced all the time frames.
I just hope that I leave and will have left a positive imprint on
someone’s life.
Peace with blessings of smiles and Merry Christmas with
happy holidays to you……….always Trudy
