LOVE

 

LOVE...

puts the fun in together; 

the sad in apart; 

the hope in tomorrow; 

the joy in a heart !

Abraham Lincoln

 Today is Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

When I was a little girl in grade school, we celebrated both George Washington's birthday on February 22nd, and Abraham Lincoln's birthday on February 12th.  I remember we learned fun facts about each of these presidents and usually did a craft project which featured something about them.  Though these two days were not school holidays, still they were important occasions in my young life..

Then at some point, the two birthdays got morphed into a generic President's Day which was meant for inclusion of ALL United States presidents, not just the first and the 16th.  I guess singling out those two outstanding leaders looked like an exclusivity instead of the respect each of them deserved--way above and beyond the other presidents.  So, came about President's Day on the third Monday every February.  And oh, what a coincidence--a three-day weekend that spawns a proliferation of sales and bargains and other ways to celebrate!  It has always made me wonder if it's all about the shopping and not the well-earned respect.

But today, I was thinking about just Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).

I'm not even sure if most people in the country--especially kids and young people--are even aware Lincoln is best known for preserving the Union during the American Civil War and for emancipating the slaves. 

Well known facts include that he was of humble origins, but a self-educated lawyer in frontier Illinois, noted not only for his shrewdness and practical common sense, but also for his invariable fairness and honesty.  In one account of Lincoln's life which I read recently, the author attributed Lincoln's style of leadership as coming from his confidence in "The People" and his belief that all said people are to have equal access to the resources of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as outlined in the Declaration of Independance.

As I was reviewing today some of Lincoln's accomplishments, I decided to reread the Gettysburg Address delivered on November 19, 1863, to dedicate Gettysburg National Cemetery.  This short dedicatory speech reiterates his belief "The People" will carry forward the ideals of freedom which we continue to benefit from today.

Thank you for your confidence in us, President Lincoln, and Happy Birthday! 

HOARDER!

 

My younger daughter sent this to me a couple of weeks ago.  We both laughed because it was so depictive of her own experience every time she comes to visit from Portland.  At some point during each visit, my older daughter takes her down my basement and holding her arms open wide says, "This is what we are facing when Mom dies." Then we all laugh!

She's right, though.  The basement is FULL of boxes--mostly the boxes are all of the figures and findings and undercloths and greenery to enhance the every- other- year display of my beautiful Nativity collection which began in the early 1970's.  And now, over 50 years later, it is a vast amount of "stuff" to support my passion for that ONE WONDERFUL NIGHT!

But, there are also boxes of other things, too.  School memorabilia, mostly, that belongs to my children.  Some of those saved items I have taken to THEIR homes, but the kids I go to visit on a plane still have boxes down there because it's more than carry-on luggage.  

And there are boxes of pillows and blankets left over from the years people actually stayed at our house when they came to visit rather than stay at a hotel like they do now.  I get that--I do the same when I go to visit them!

Oh, and treasures I brought back from our wonderful years that we lived in Sweden and West Berlin Germany.  

And there are boxes of kids' books and brand new supplies of crayons and pencils and tablets and journals and anything else that I kept around for those visits when I had planned fun adventures during their visits--the Nichols Family Olympics, Summer Safari, Summer Splash, The Grands Go Hawaiian, and all the other events I hatched for their entertainment--you get the picture.

Plus, there are the small items I have purchased here and there to have on hand when I want to give a little gift to a friend or a neighbor who is ill or down or just needs a friend.  That all takes space, too.

Not to mention all my United Airlines uniforms that can't be given away--in the interest of security so no unauthorized person can impersonate a flight attendant because it is against the law.  They are still down there, too.  Apparently, I am supposed to destroy them but haven't done that yet either.

But when my husband told me I was a HOARDER just a few days before I received that telling cartoon, I protested to the max.  NOOOO!  I'm not a hoarder.  I don't save stacks of newspapers and magazines and containers, etc. that pile up all over the place.

And to prove him wrong, I went to the dictionary to show him the definition of a hoarder--those people on TV shows that have rotting food and lost pets in the mess all around them.

But I was chastised to find that one of the definitions of a hoarder was "having a difficult time letting go of items that have a sentimental attachment."  Uhoh, that IS me to a certain extent.  

Okay, organizing the basement and having a huge garage sale was at the top of my list when I retired in 2000.  But, five days after I retired, I accepted a position teaching religious education to high school students.  My plans got put on hold.  When I was finished with that assignment, I was tapped to be the secretary of the very large women's organization in my Church.  That is still an on-going--and very demanding--responsibility.

So, the picture boxes, the recipe files/books, and my desire to select letters from my vast correspondence for a second edition of the book I self-published 15 years ago all got put on hold--and are still there.  ON HOLD!

But, I have scaled down my intent to do everything at once by concentrating on more doable chunks because I know I do not have the time, and let's face it, the stamina to work tirelessly for eight to 12 hours a day on projects that require a lot of physical output.  Now, I have small tasks that are not only doable but still give me the satisfaction I am getting a foot in the door to my desired final outcome.

One box a week to the thrift store.  On Tuesday.  Without fail.  It's working!

This week I chose candles.  I haven't used them in years to burn as a room aromizer or even to use in decorating.  Easy for me to give away.  No sentimentality there.  So, for the past several days I have systematically gone through Christmas boxes labeled with candles as part of the contents, kitchen shelves, and any other nook and cranny I just happened to see a lone candle.  And off they went to the thrift store.  Brand new.  Maybe someone will enjoy having some delicious scent for a long soak in the tub for a spa-like atmosphere.  Maybe some other use...I don't know.   But after I threw away the ones that I HAD burned--even a little--there were still two small boxes to share with someone else. 

Of course, I had to treat myself for accomplishing my doable goal.  That was part of the incentive, too.  Since today was Taco Tuesday, I indulged on the way home then peeked once more into the tidy 3 shelf cupboard I had relieved of its candle burden.  Looking good!

I'm hoping my husband isn't expecting a Mary Poppins experience where the results are done with a few magical words and gestures.  This is still REAL LIFE, you know!

Patting myself on the back...I am off to a pretty good start.  Four weeks.  forty-eight weeks to go.

Then there shouldn't be anything left that has to be "unhoarded".

HAHAHA!

HAPPY NEW YEAR--2025

 Because I was a flight attendant for several years, my nephew's wife shared this with me for her New Year greeting today.  It is a clever take on the pre-flight procedures presented at the beginning of the safety information for passengers as the plane takes off.  See what you think of the suggestions presented in this unique way.  

Oh, and by the way, Happy New Year!

NEW YEAR'S EVE

 

IT'S NEW YEARS EVE, DECEMBER 31, 2024

This is the best message I've heard as this occasion has approached and people have mixed feelings about another good year--or a potentially bad one just ahead.

Take it for what it is worth--sound advice that nothing needs to be permanent.  If something needs to change, then do it.  If there is nothing you can do about it, don't let it fester.  As my husband Louis would say, "Adapt and overcome."

A great future awaits in the wings....

EVERY END IS A NEW BEGINNING

JESUS OF NAZARETH

 

IN THE BEGINNING....A SPECIAL BABY!

A few years ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints produced a Christmas movie titled simply, “The Christ Child”.  It is about 18 minutes long, and it captured me completely.  I have watched it several times each Christmas—and even other times of the year.  It is like I’m seeing it for the first time every time I watch it, it’s that good!

The video starts with Joseph out in the yard preparing for their journey to Bethlehem.  Mary is standing in the doorway of their simple home, obviously in the well-advanced stages of her pregnancy.  The next scene is them walking along with others who were also going to be taxed as decreed by Caesar Augustus.  The story unfolds pretty much like the world has heard it for years, but there are details that make it so much better than any other video or movie of the momentous event of Christ’s birth.

For example, the dialogue is not in English.  The few words they say are in Aramaic, and they are not translated for the viewer.  Neither the “Inn” nor the “stable” is what we are visually used to seeing either.  They are actually in the home of relatives, but the upper chamber where they would have been sleeping was full of loud people and a lot of clamorous noise.

When Mary goes into labor, Joseph asks if there is a quiet spot they can go to.  They are directed to a stall.  Mary’s labor is so real, I could instantly relate!  No, she didn’t want a bite of food!  No, don’t make her move during a contraction!  And after the baby is born, Joseph picks up the baby and holds him in one of the scenes while Mary rests.

Some other details are also different but historically correct.  Among them is a stone crib for the manger, just like people then used to fill with hay for their cows.  Mary sings the baby a lullaby.  It is one of the Psalms which a mother at that time would have done. 

Lastly, after the shepherds have been told of Christ’s birth by a heavenly host of angels and go to see the new Messiah, the Wise Men far away in the East are plotting celestial diagrams for the location of the star which has been prophesied. They arrive at Joseph and Mary’s home, not the stable because Jesus is about two years old by this time.  And, oh, the little boy as Jesus in this movie just melts my heart.  As he peeks out when the Wise Men humbly bow before Him with their gifts, he smiles so sweetly. 

And that’s the end of the movie…with this one last line on the screen

        “JESUS OF NAZARETH WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD...”  Acts 10:38

THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE...A SPECIAL SON OF GOD! 

_______________________________________________________________

The INVITATION:  Go about doing good!

We can do that, too.  We can ALL go about doing good.  Let's do that every day!

 As we emulate Christ's perfect example, our hands can become His hands.                    

NOTE:  This is a Nativity story you won’t want to miss viewing—no matter what time of the year. It is time well-spent. The easiest way to access it is on You Tube.  

The Christ Child: A Nativity Story | #LightTheWorld     

    

   

 

THANKSLIVING

 

I may have shared before that I wrote a newsletter for my children for 10 years.  I included fun items from the numerous journals I kept while they were growing up which included birthdays, achievements, experiences living on the East Coast and in Sweden and Germany, plus other mundane reports.  Now and then I wrote a little “essay” which not only shared my feelings, but also was intended to be a reminder to be heedful of doing better and becoming better people.  This is what I wrote for the November 2005 issue of 

THE NICHOLS FAMILY NEWS:

 

“Here’s to my favorite holiday-   Thanksgiving!  

    It is the one celebration where family and friends spend time together without the pressure of exchanging gifts.  We simply enjoy associating with each other—laughing, playing games, and eating some of our most favorite foods.  The uplifting of spirit through our recognition of blessings received is a reminder that we need to be living in thanksgiving daily, 

not just one time a year.

 Studies show that a grateful heart is not one which has to depend on wealth or health in order to be happy.  Interestingly, there is not a one-to-one ratio between the happiness we enjoy and the “successes” of life we own. 

 Cicero said, “The grateful heart is not only the greatest virtue but the parent of all the others.”

 

 Experts say there are three aspects of a grateful heart:

         1.   an awareness of life’s blessings and their source

        2.   an attitude of sharing—blessings multiply as we share them with others

     3. a sense of obligation to give back to the future for all the sacrifices inherited from those who went before us; when we serve others, it is not a bestowal of favors but paying a debt; our liberties, privileges, homes, schools, churches and wonders of science with their infinite blessings have been achieved by men and women mostly unknown to us

 Much of Christ’s story on earth is revealed in His expression of thanksgiving and appreciation for the “little” things in life.  He talked about the beauty of the wildflowers, a cup of water, the thoughtfulness of those who were kind to the hungry and ill, the talents which were used well, the widow’s mite, and many other token examples.

Just as Cicero said the grateful heart is the greatest virtue, Christ said in a revelation to Joseph Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 59:21 a lack of gratitude is the greatest sin.

 “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments….”

When we forget to give thanks then we open ourselves to greed, covetousness, and a host of other failings.  Life itself is an entrustment from God, and everything we know and have has the mark of His handiwork on it.  Acknowledge His hand in all things, and you won’t be found “wanting” in the balance at any time.

I then suggested that my family list some of their blessings on small pieces of paper then slip them into an envelope so they could remove and review them frequently in true "Thanksliving”.  

I invite you—and me—to make a conscious effort during November…and every day in the year…to pay attention to the abundance in your life.  Perhaps you may want to try the same little exercise to help you be more aware of the numberless blessings you constantly receive.   They are bountiful!

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!