With the death of Barb's dad, and the moving-away of her dearest friends, Christmas just isn't the same. She recently commented that, having no living parents, she's now the older generation, and that's a lonely place to be.
And there's me, seemingly worse by the day, with weird swellings, an unearthly paleness under my normally yellow-cast skin, and exaggeratedly careful movements, because everything hurts too much. It's hard for her to see.
It's so hard to feel Christmas-y.
I wish I could help.
How can we feel Christmas
when so much has changed?
When there has been so much loss,
and hearts are disarrayed?
How can we view the scenes
of families joined in joy
when only, now, in our dreams
can their presence we employ?
How can we drive pass the home
of friends who've moved away
without descent to sorrow-zone
for an empty Christmas Day?
Lights and trees won't heal the sorrow,
but, in Christ, there is tomorrow.
Here are Aly and A.J. with Greatest Time Of Year.
Thanks to Carol Ashby, Blessed Are The Pure Of Heart is back on Kindle, and will be available in paperback soon.
Friends are everything. I couldn't have done it.
Marley, the canine waif from Afghanistan, whom WE helped save, has a Facebook page! Please drop by to see how happy he is today.
Below are my recent releases on Kindle -please excuse their presence in the body of the blog. I haven't the energy to get them up as 'buttons' in the sidebar. You can click on the covers to go to the Amazon links.
But you're here, and that is enough.
ReplyDeleteMERRY CHRISTMAS Andrew and Barbara. I appreciate you both. Thank you for being part of my virtual family. I wish I could deliver a boatload of Christmas cheer. Though that's not the case, I can send a happy wish your way, may God grant you gentle mercies and sweet blessings in the little things... God bless you.
My dear Norma, your friendship and your presence in our lives is more cheering, and more of a blessing, than you may know; certainly more than I can express in words.
DeleteThank you so very, very much, and we hope your Christmas is wonderful!
(((((Andrew)))))
ReplyDelete(((((Barbara)))))
Thank you for this. I must share it with my mother. She sees the Christmas season as the anniversaries of her losses... between Dec 1 and Jan 3 (of different years) her father, mother, husband and son died. Thank you so much!
Annie in Texas
((((((Annie!))))))
DeleteI'm so glad that this may be of help. Please know that you and your Mom are in our prayers.
Andrew, god bless you, Barb and the fur family. Wishing you well.
ReplyDeleteLeon, thank you so much, and blessings back!
DeleteIt's a hard time because we expect everything to be Merry, but the first Christmas certainly wasn't for the family that had to flee to egypt in spite of the visitors they had. I pray for both of you every day and won't stop.
ReplyDeleteJan, you're so right...and thank you for that timely reminder, that we really have to reach back to things as they really were.
DeleteAnd thank you so much for being here!