Our Entranceway…
It can sure be chaos, can’t it though?
Getting ready for a Holiday for which most folks “don’t have time”…
Well, its’ good to remember that none of us “Has Time” for Anything!
It is about Making Time!
It is about what’s important to Us!
It is about the Life that we Choose to Live!
So, just to review:
December 25this Christmas Day.
December 26this the First Day of Christmas!
December 27this the Second Day of Christmas…
And so forth through January 6th, the Twelfth Day of Christmas!
These Twelve Days of Christmas are meant to be Days of Pleasure,
Time to Enjoy Friends and Family,
And the Gifts of the Season —
Yes, the physical Gifts we have received. Sure.
But also the Gifts of Kindness,
Reflection,
Self-Evaluation,
Joy,
Doing for Others…
The Gift of Life!
If you’re like me, it is also a Good Moment to take a Pause from the Family Madness… Over-tired Adults and Over-stimulated Children,
So Much Cooking and trying to get things out on the table
And feeling it’s appreciated,
And feeling it’s not appreciated at all…
Family Dynamics may include all of these things.
And how nice that after the Big Events of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day,
There is a Moment to simply Pause,
Step Back,
And Embrace the Joy of the Season…
I have been a Wildly Imperfect Person of Christmas this Season.
We have a sign in our Christmas Decorations which reads,
“This Christmas, Give Someone the Gift of a Cheerful Disposition.”
I made it a mission over these past few weeks to treat everyone with Kindness — from Harried StoreClerks to Beleaguered Post Office Personnel, to People on the Street looking at their phones and rudely delaying everyone attempting to walk past them, to Family Members who simply did not want to be there…
And I failed!
I mean I did well, sometimes.
I had a really nice conversation with someone at the Post Office Consumer Line about my Business Mail which has not reached me since I put in the forwarding order to my new office last August! As disturbing as I found that, I began by recognizing that it was not the fault of the gentleman on the other end of the phone.
This approach resulted in a successful conversation, ending with this gentleman whose name I learned was “David” saying, as if he were surprised to have had such a lovely conversation, “And MERRY CHRISTMAS!”
The people looking at their phone screens with their heads down and delaying everyone on the street — Less Successful There!
With Family and Loved Ones… Some Nice Moments. Some Stress.
Dinner for 13 this Christmas Eve,
And 5 more on Christmas Day,
while stocking MOM’s refrigerator for when the Grandchildren visit throughout the week…
A 14-hour Day of Specialty-Food-Shopping last Saturday,
Just to prepare — and I still forgot the Tartar Sauce!
(And MOM had no relish, so I couldn’t even mix some up on the spot!)
…Another Imperfect Christmas Feast!
…And this Year’s Wildly Imperfect and Yet Magnificently Beautiful CHRISTMAS TREE…
And after So Much Celebration and Days of Festivity…
Today…
The First Day of Christmas!
Boxing Day!
A Pause…
To Reflect.
To Forgive Ourselves.
To Begin Again… the Spectacular Promise of Each New Day!
To Live the Great Gift of this Deliciously Imperfect Life in Such Spectacularly Imperfect Ways!
This Twelve Days of Christmas, we Celebrate “GOD WITH US!”
This does not refer to any kind of Perfection, nor even accomplishment.
It simply means that GOD is with Us,
As we are!
We, GOD’s Imperfect and Beautiful Children!
Not Alone!
Rather, we move Forward in Love and Forgiveness of ourselves and others,
And we Embrace the Day!
We Embrace the Twelve Days
Of Christmas!
# # #
Live The Questions Now 
mrdamonb
/ December 26, 2018Merry Christmas, from one imperfect reveler to another! PS Your dinner was delicious…and no one really missed the tartar sauce. Instead, you improvised a solution and once again made magic! ❤💥🎅💥💚
Arnold J. Mungioli
/ December 27, 2018Thanx, Damon! You are my Inspiration! XXOO
Sue Hochreiter
/ December 27, 2018Once again your talent amazes me. A few years ago I stopped caring about shopping and wrapping gifts. I stopped stressing about the dinner I made for the holidays. I now have food catered in. Decorating means less and less to me. If fact we did not even put up a tree this year. The only reason that we have lights and decorations outside is because my husband and son did it. I stopped all this not because I became bitter, I did it because I decided to celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmas. I care about friends and family. I spent time with neighbors. I said Merry Christmas, held doors open for people. I said please and thank you. I listened when someone spoke. Doing these things brought joy back into the holidays. I didn’t care what religion, political view or how rude the other person was, I just smiled and wished them a Merry Christmas. Each year I try harder and harder to carry this kindness all through the year. I fail sometimes but am successful most of the time. The older I get the more I am grateful that from a young age I taught my son to follow God. To be respectful to others, to love and tolerate different ideas and customs, to appreciate family and friends. He knows that someone might seem grumpy, but you do not know what is going on in their lives so a little kindness goes a long way. Now those of you who know my son are aware of how sarcastic he can be. I proudly take credit for that too. Arnold, I thank God everyday that you exist in this world. You have always brought kindness and joy to my life. After reading this article it reinforces what I have always known ,you have a beautiful heart. Marry Christmas, Happy New Year and may you have all the love, peace and happiness that your heart can hold.
Arnold J. Mungioli
/ February 19, 2019Merry Christmas, Cuz! We are still Celebrating! Extending it sure takes some of the pressure off… 😀 Love to You and Your beautiful Family… XXOO
Claudia
/ December 27, 2018Lovely! Feel I shared part of your experience. I had a b e latex holiday season celebration with my daughter. We each had super nachos with the dog in the car and I gave her fuzzy knee socks from Daiso’s, a Japanese store and a soft eleohant unicorn. We also had lit Chanukah candles my mother had given us on Chanukah while watching The Goldberg’s. On Christmas I cried unexpectedly for my sister Judith who we used to spend the Christmas eves with and who went on to the an abundant life.
Arnold J. Mungioli
/ February 19, 2019Dear CLAUDIA… What a Beautiful and Heartfelt Celebration! XXOO