Winter Holiday Spirit, Stories of Comfort and Joy…

[Hollylane]

Happy Winter Holiday Season Planeteers!

The holidays can be very stressful, and I thought it would be lovely to have a place to be able to come and read stories that help us to remember what the holidays are all about. Peace, joy, Family, Giving, and Love.

So, I have created this thread as a place to share your special stories about real events, people, and animals that have touched your heart during the winter holidays. This is not a space intended to be specific to one holiday, or religious preference, all are welcome.

May the spirit and goodwill of the holidays be with you and your loved ones throughout the season...

[grenade]

Monday, December 08, 2008

blog humbug.

I really hate this time of year. When I was a little girl, Christmas always had a sort of magical appeal. Not just the day, but the weeks leading up to it. Even though I never believed that Santa was real, I loved the idea of him. I believed in the spirit of mankind. That there was goodness in all of us. I believed in things like goodwill and peace. A virgin birth. A supernatural infant born to smite the assholes and douchebags of the world. (I might have just called them bad guys back then.) Oh, and save us from our sins. (Good luck with that one.)

As I laid in bed a couple nights ago, I thought about what a mess this holiday is. My mood sank even further and I shed a few angry, exhausted tears. My baby girl was cuddled next to me and asked me, 'What's wrong, Mama?'

'I'm just tired, baby. Thinking about Christmas and how I'm going to pay for everything.'

*she wipes my tears away with a single finger and fixes her dark brown eyes on mine* (a look I will never forget, in this lifetime or the next.)

And she says,' Don't worry about getting me anything. Worry about the little guy. I've been pretty good, so I'll get something from Santa.' The little guy is her 5 year old brother.

I asked her,'Won't you be upset if you don't get a gift from me?'

She continued staring deep into my eyes and took her turn with the tears. 'No, Mommy. I already have the best mommy ever. It doesn't get better than that.'

*At this point, I want to take the time to remind you that she is just 7. On the off chance that she wasn't sincere...even more brilliance.*

I snuggled her close and she whispered in my ear,'I love you all the way to God...' *pause* 'however far that is.'

So...

I guess all in all, Christmas is what you make it, whatever your stripes may be. My original ideas of Christmas are still alive in the heart of at least one 7 year old. Does it change how I feel about about this time of year? Not so much. It does make it bearable. So, Merry Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you may celebrate. Peace to you and yours.

[Miss Scarlett]

In 2006 a friend and editor of our LGBT newspaper asked me to write a column about my favorite Christmas memory. At first I didn't want to but he persisted and I agreed. Looking back I'm glad I did because it turned out to be my Mom's last Christmas and this column was a sort of tribute to her. She was very proud of it and proudly displayed that paper next to her favorite chair until the day she died.

THE CHRISTMAS KETTLE

I was not earning much money that year but had saved for months to be able to buy modest gifts for my family. My father had decided to give my mother a mink coat and my youngest brother had purchased a microwave oven for my parents. (Unlike today, in 1984 a basic microwave oven was frightfully expensive.) My other two brothers were in the military and stationed overseas, so they were bringing exotic and unusual gifts.

A few days before I was going to do my Christmas shopping a friend told me that one of our mutual friends — Jenny — was in dire financial straits and unable to provide her five-year-old daughter with a warm coat for winter and still manage to have Christmas gifts for her. Worse still was that Anne was being taunted by her classmates because she didn’t have a coat. This news just broke my heart. I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing — so I decided to take my savings and purchase a coat for her.

I took Anne shopping and thanks to some wonderful sales was able to purchase not only a coat, but also a dress and shoes. Somehow there was even enough money left over to buy a gift and a scraggly poinsettia for Anne to give her mother. As an extra treat I took Anne to see Santa and had her picture taken with him. When we returned from our adventure Anne insisted upon modeling her new clothes and giving Jenny her gifts.

Jenny was quite overcome and cried as she hugged me tight. When she was whispering her thanks she told me that she had never believed in Santa Claus until then. Her words were humbling.

When I got home I talked with my mother and told her what I had done. She was as touched as I was at Jenny’s plight and told me not to worry about the family gifts and that everyone would understand.

With my leftover savings I went shopping and was able to get very small gifts for everyone. That did not bother me except for the gift I bought my mother. It was a very pretty, but very inexpensive tea kettle that I had seen mom admire once when we were shopping. On its own it was a nice gift — but it paled in comparison to a mink coat or a microwave.

I confess that I was embarrassed when she opened my gift after all the others that year. But the interesting thing is that while she loved all of her gifts she seemed to have a special affection for mine. For nearly 10 years that little kettle was well used and sat in a place of honor on the stove in her kitchen. It was still there long after it wore out because mom thought it was so beautiful.

Today, the fur is in storage, seldom worn, and the microwave has been replaced many times over. Mom will still talk about that little kettle and tell me how sad she was that it finally wore out from use. We’ve never really talked about it — but I’m not sure if it was the actual kettle she found beautiful or the story behind it. I’d like to think it was both.

[Hollylane]

Here is the experience that prompted me to start this thread. I participated in this conversation with a customer just prior to Thanksgiving:

Me: Thank you for calling ___, my name is Hollylane, may I have the address or account number that I can help you with today?

(Customer gives her information, and I verify who is calling)

Me: Thank you Mary, how can I help you today?

Mary (sounding very stressed): I need to know when you'll be turning off my power, I'm not going to be able to pay anything at all at this time, and I just want to know when this will happen, because...(barely heard sob), I just want to be prepared.

Me (after scanning the account, and reading the notes): Mary, we won't be turning your power off this month. Your account has been paid in full.

Mary (after a brief silence): Excuse me?

Me: Your account has been paid in full.

Mary: (with a catch in her voice): Who did this?

Me: I'm not able to answer that for you Mary. We received an envelope in our drop box with $1000 in cash, and a handwritten message advising us of your address and first name, and requesting that we apply the payment to your account and to please note your account with a message.

Mary (sobbing softly): What was the message?

Me: It read "I have this to spare, and I think that you may be in need of it. Please have a Merry Christmas"

Mary (hardly able to speak): Thank you.

Me: Do you have an idea who it might have been?

Mary (speaking very softly): No, I don't know anyone in Portland. I moved here to care for my mother (against my husband's wishes), who passed away unexpectedly last month. The apartment manager said that I would need to pay first and last month's rent in order to keep the apartment, and because my husband won't allow me to come home, I have no where else to go right now. So, I had to use all of my SSI money to keep this place.

I really did not know what I was going to do. I am so utterly grateful, and so ashamed.

Me: Oh, Mary, please don't feel ashamed. Someone saw that you were in need, and had the means to help. You must have done something very good for someone else in your life, and I'm positive you deserved this.

Mary (sobbing and unable to speak clearly): Thank you, and may God bless you and the person who helped me.


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[Bella~Vita]

I received this poem in the mail, the first "Christmas" after my "Mom" passed. No one in the family would own it, but whoever sent it I'm grateful. So I wanted to post this for those of us that have lost our * Mothers * I hope this will bring you some peace and comfort!


*Christmas In Heaven*



,Christmas in heaven
What a beautiful sight
It's my first one here
And everything is alright

The crib is adorned
With brillance of stars
Wisemen have come from Venus & Mars

I've met all of our loved ones
Who proceeded us here,
The reunion was lovely
An event full of cheer

And tonight we will all gather
In reverence we'll kneel
For the Babe in the cradle
From heaven is real

I think of my Family
That I've left behind
And I pray that your *Christmas*
Is as Blessed as mine

Please shed no more tears...
For my soul is at rest
Just love one another
Live life at it's best.

Love, *Mom*

[sis]

I don't have a story to share at this time .... simply, thank you! Your stories are blessing my life.

[Bella~Vita]

Originally Posted by sis

I don't have a story to share at this time .... simply, thank you! Your stories are blessing my life.

Sis, these stories are heart felt. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes as I type .... Blessing to you and to all those here!

[skeeter_01]

[QUOTE=Hollylane;711190][FONT="Garamond"][SIZE="4"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]Here is the experience that prompted me to start this thread. I participated in this conversation with a customer just prior to Thanksgiving:

Me: Thank you for calling ___, my name is Hollylane, may I have the address or account number that I can help you with today?

(Customer gives her information, and I verify who is calling)

Me: Thank you Mary, how can I help you today?

Mary (sounding very stressed): I need to know when you'll be turning off my power, I'm not going to be able to pay anything at all at this time, and I just want to know when this will happen, because...(barely heard sob), I just want to be prepared.

Me (after scanning the account, and reading the notes): Mary, we won't be turning your power off this month. Your account has been paid in full.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WoW!! There really are GOOD PEOPLE in the world!! I think there are more GOOD than bad...and this time of year REALLY brings it out!! Thank you SO much for sharing this story!!