Off to the Grandparents House We Go!

Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West Virginia, has been recognized nationally by the United States as the founder of National Grandparents Day. Her goal, to educate the youth in our communities the important contributions seniors have made throughout history. She also urged the youth to “adopt” a grandparent, not just for one day a year, but for a lifetime.
In February, 1977, Congressional legislation was passed proclaiming the first Sunday after Labor Day, Grandparents Day. The statute cites the day’s purpose as: “…to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer”.
Do you remember the primer books many of us first learned to read? Remember “Fun with Dick & Jane”? These books came out after the Egyptians stop writing on walls. We experienced so many adventures with Dick, Jane and little sister Sally. See Dick. See Dick Run. Run Dick Run. Run, run, Run. These books were created in the 1930’s and are now referred to as vintage.
What I remember most about these books were the family trips to see the grandparents on the farm and all their many adventures, not forgetting all the good things grandmother baked for the children. You could almost smell the aroma of warm apple pie as it sat on the window sill to cool. These grandparents were perfect, giving the children a perfect balance of direction, discipline and love.
How will your grandchildren remember you? Will it be a fairytale? Will it be filled with expensive gifts, but no real connection? Will it be filled with loneliness, longing and regret? Or will it be filled with fun, laughter, adventure and love? We have an opportunity to create a legacy for our grandchildren, even changing our legacy in this moment, it is never too late.
I am a grandmother to 3-year-old O’Farrell and there is another grandson due January 31st. My daughter gave my mother her Grandparent’s Day gift earlier this week. When the sonogram determined it was indeed another boy, she told her, his name is William, after my father. This brought my mother to tears and to me as well, when I heard.
I can’t wait to tell little William how his great-grandfather was a social activist, how he stood up to injustice even when he was confronted with racism. He lost his leg in WWII, never honored with a Purple Heart and still he stood to make this a better country for our future, for his name sake, and everyone’s grandchildren.
Now it’s my time to create a legacy for my grandsons. What I know for sure is I’ll buy them toys, but they will also have an educational value. I will roll around on the floor and then worry about how to get back up. I’ll take them to the movies, feed them too much junk food and allow them to stay up way past their bedtime.
I’ll also strive to walk my talk as a Lightworker. I’ll teach them they are perfect just as they are. I’ll teach them the Law of Causality, so they know they will reap what they sow. I’ll teach them that Jesus the Christ was a wonderful ascended master, but not the only one. I’ll teach them we are all created equal and we are our brother’s keeper. I’ll teach them we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I’ll teach them we all come to this life with a purpose and that purpose is of service to the one race, the human race. I’ll teach them that God can look like anything they want, including being a Her. And lastly, I’ll teach them that just as Spirit loves them unconditionally, so do I.
For those of you who have no grandchildren, find a child or children that need that special kind of love that only YOU can provide.
For YOU grandparents and great-grand, enjoy your special day and know that whatever legacy you leave for your grandchildren, it will be enough.

Gratitude

My family has always had great Christmases. My mother, the matriarch, has a knack for making holidays special, and Christmas was always at the top of the list of holidays. For the last three years, I have travelled from Florida to Kentucky to be with my mother, daughter and our family. 

This has been a wonderful Christmas, family around and lots of love. My grandson is the alpha and omega of my life. At the age of 2, he has a better understanding of Christmas and Santa. He had one request, a dolphin pillow pet. He saw one on tv and it was love at first sight. For weeks and weeks he asked for the dolphin, no matter what other pets or toys he saw.  He told everyone he saw, “I want a dolphin.” His mother used the Santa visit as a carrot, and it worked.

Fast forward and Christmas morning came. The first thing he saw was a tent, complete with tunnel, and he ran right in. From there he opened all his presents one at a time, always going to the fat present,  his mother redirecting his attention. I don’t know how he knew this was the present he was looking for. Finally the moment of truth. His eyes were huge as he torn open the wrapping paper to see his beloved dolphin. His response was, “He bringed it, Santa bringed it!”) That, for me was worth the trip. He then said, “I want two dolphins”, throwing up two little fingers (which was also something else he had asked for, but we were ignoring him).

The Christmas celebration went from my daughter’s house to my mother’s, and low and behold his great-grandmother gave him another blue dolphin, saying, “He said he wanted two”. To see him trying to hold on to both with two-year old arms, was amusing, but there was a light in his eyes that melted my heart. The wonder, the surprise, the magic of Christmas was present in his  joyous face.

I am so grateful I have this wonderful little boy to remind me of a simpler time; when small things had a huge impact on your life, when magic and wonder are part of the celebration of this holiday season.

As we quickly approach the beginning  of another year, I pray that you are able to find less stress and more wonder in 2011.

Namaste’

This is the Season

Christmas trees, decorations, gift cards, baking, cooking, Santa Claus, traveling, and the money to pay for it all, are you getting overwhelmed yet? If you’re like me, you have “miles to go before you sleep” (that’s a quote from somewhere, but I don’t have enough time to “Google” it).

The answer, take each day as it comes, live in the moment and remember its not about the decorations nor shopping for presents (that will be returned during the next shopping day). Try moving away from the “woulda” and “shoulda” and do what makes your heart sing. Try spending time with the family preparing food or presents together. Let your young ones know they can’t get everything they see on TV, and instead, give to the homeless, that are in desperate need of items to keep them warm and/or in need of food. They would appreciate anything relating to the holidays. They are someones, father/mother, son/daughter, they too  need to belong to a family, to a community. Why not make them a part of your community, all you have to do is care. If you choose to take the path of giving instead of getting, you just may have the the best holiday ever!
Namaste’

Holiday Home Comings

With the big day quickly approaching most are running around frantically trying to check off their list of gifts,  buy groceries and prepare food, lots of food both traditional and family favorites. And we can’t forget the decorating that needs to be done. Each year we promise ourselves we’ll begin this process earlier, but somehow that really doesn’t happen  and we feel the holidays have come too soon.

The reality is all of that really doesn’t matter, spending time with our loved ones does. Forget about buying crap that people don’t want, can’t use or don’t need.  Why not donate gently used or new things to your local charities instead. Spend time helping others. Help a neighbor, a coworker or a stranger. We all need help at some time or another and Christmas always seems to be the time when challenges tend to hit hardest . It is not too late to make a difference.

I arrived back home for the holidays yesterday. Seeing my mother, daughter, son-in-law and 22-month-old grandson is what the holidays are all about for me. Not the crap I use to buy. Spending time with them is the greatest gift. We will be eating, drinking and making merry. I will see more family before it’s all over and I so look forward to that as well.  We enjoy each other and leave all drama behind; that’s what the holidays are all about. We will reminisce, tease, cajole. We will marvel how much the children have grown in the last year. The reason for the season is being with your loved ones, giving thanks and connecting with Spirit. . Time is short and not promised to any of us. Take this time to make lasting memories; these are the gifts that are cherished and last a lifetime.

Peace, love and blessings to each and every one of you and may the new year offer you all that you desire.

Merry Christmas and Namaste’

The Season of eBay

My 20-month old grandson is an Elmo nut. The sun rises and sets on everything Elmo. He was Elmo for Halloween and loved his costume, keeping it on when usually he’s trying to strip down to the skin, including his diaper. He wears Elmo diapers, has a Elmo blanket and Elmo DVDs. Apparently there is a Chicken Dance Elmo at his daycare that he covets. He  jumps out of my daughter’s arms when he arrives at daycare to claim it, and cries every day when he has to leave Elmo in the evening.

My daughter did some research on Chicken Dance Elmo and found out he was the hottest Elmo item in 2001. When she found lots of used one’s for sell on-line she decided the new Elmo his great-grandmother is giving him will have to do.

Now, I’ve only been a grandmother for 20 months, but I know if my baby boy wants a Chicken Dance Elmo, damn it I’m going to find it. That was my entry into eBay.

I know many people who live on eBay, purchasing all kinds of stuff from widget to what nots. If my baby wants this Elmo, I’m going to exhaust every avenue.  Did you know they sell EVERYTHING on eBay? And guess what?? Yes, there were new Chicken Dance Elmos, still in the box for sell. No problem, I’ll just bid on one and get it in plenty of time before Christmas.

The first Elmo was lost because I, didn’t stay on top of the bidding,  but no matter there where others, and I was determined to win the second one. The bid started out at $5 and some change. My goal, not to spend more than $30; then $33, $35, $40, $45. Had I lost my mind? Apparently! I didn’t know the bidding could be so competitive.

Daughter calls last evening and I say distractedly, “Someone keeps outbidding me”. Her response, “Mama, oh no, don’t tell me, are you kidding me? Are you bidding against me?” Yeap, she was in a bidding war for Chicken Elmo too. “OMG are we bidding against each other?” Fortunately, we weren’t and I stopped bidding because she had only minutes left on her Elmo and her’s was $10 less than mine. She won the bid and we can’t wait to see the face of our baby boy on Christmas morning. That will be magic.

All of that to say, Christmas has lost a lot of the magic that I experienced as a child. We were naive, not having the mass media of today, growing us up way too soon. Santa was magic, and my parents did their part to allow us to keep the magic going for as long as possible. To this day, I remember my family returning home late one Christmas Eve evening. The snow was falling in Youngstown, Ohio and I remember it being cold and crisp. My younger brother urged our father to drive faster because sitting on our knees looking out the back window, this was long before safety belts, we were so sure we saw Santa’s sleigh in the sky and he couldn’t find us still awake.

Is Christmas too commercial? Yeap, in my opinion it is; however, it’s up to us to keep the magic going. The lights on houses; decorating trees; sitting on Santa’s lap at the mall; writing letters to the North Pole are ways to keep the anticipation going.  It’s not about going further into debt to buy gifts, but a time of year that we are allowed to be kinder, more generous and appreciative of all that we have. Presents shouldn’t be given based on expense, but on something thoughtful that really touches another’s heart. Christmas is a time for loved ones; sharing and caring.  I can’t wait to see our little man’s face come Christmas morning, that will be my bit of magic.  Regardless if you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza keep the magic alive and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.

Namaste’

My Valentine

Valentine’s Day is perhaps one of the biggest industry-made holidays, in my humble opinion. Between the flower, candy, stuffed animal, and greeting card companies, February 14th has become a pretty big deal. This is a “holiday” that fall into two different camps, men who don’t understand what the big deal is, and women who feel that it is indeed a big deal and hope to be the recipient of cards, candy and flowers.

I am no exception, I love Valentine’s Day, with all its commercialism. What is wrong with an opportunity to tell people we love, they are loved? I’m not saying that this day isn’t commercialism at its best, but there are some who need a little push.

My beloved and I, fall into this category. He doesn’t get what the big deal is, since I know how he feels about me. I in fact do know how he feels about me, but a reminder doesn’t hurt anyone, especially when I’m the recipient of gifts.

For my beloved I gave him a replacement coffee pot, because he’s practical and I know he likes practical gifts. I on the other hand, do not want any kind of gift that is used for work. My mother taught me early on that a gift for housework is not a gift at all.

My beloved who is a hardworking, macho kind of guy bought me a wonderful gift. It is a beautiful ring, white gold with diamonds. I love the ring and I’m proud that he did so well by himself. But, the greatest gift was the fact that he understood and honored what Valentine’s Day meant to me. The bit of “bling” is beautiful and I will wear it in honor of our love. I will also cherish the idea and he went to a mall, shopped, and seems genuinely excited about giving me the gift.

So my message to all you macho types out there, if you want to make some serious points with your significant other, do what she wants, loves and enjoys, your won’t regret it.

Namaste’