Christmas
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Treasure trees
“Some Christmas tree ornaments do more than glitter and glow, they represent a gift of love given a long time ago.” ~Tom Baker When Doug and I became empty nesters, we started scaling back on holiday decorations. Simplifying the season, we banked the mantel with greens and twinkle lights, but didn’t put up a Christmas tree. We’d grown tired of hauling everything down from the attic. But things have changed now that we have a little grandson who’s old enough to appreciate the magic of Christmas. Last year, we bought a new tree and retrieved the ornaments we’ve collected over the years. My favorites include the paper and macaroni ornaments…
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The gift of free time
“There’s no such thing in anyone’s life as an unimportant day.” ~Alexander Woollcott This morning, while waiting for my coffee to brew, I checked the wall calendar in my kitchen. The month of December includes several family birthdays and holiday plans, so most days are scribbled in ink with things to remember or do. The sight of a blank space today — no commitments, no appointments! — immediately gave me a little thrill. It’s not that I don’t look forward to activities with family and friends. But I have to admit that I covert the luxury of an occasional free day to collect my wits or spend any way I…
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Redefining “family”
“Family was a bigger word than I imagined, wide and without limitations, if you allowed it, defying easy definition. You had family that was supposed to be family and wasn’t, family that wasn’t family but was….It was possible to lack whole, honest love and connection from family in lead roles, yet to be filled to abundance by the unexpected supporting players.” ~Deb Colette, The Secret Life of Prince Charming The winter holidays traditionally shine a bright light on our family relationships. Sometimes that’s a beautiful thing, and sometimes it’s … complicated. (In yesterday’s post, I shared a column about coping with the loss of loved ones during the holidays.) Whether it’s…
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How to manage holiday grief and loss
“The holiest of all holidays are those kept by ourselves in silence and apart; the secret anniversaries of the heart.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow If you’re grieving a loss, holiday festivities can feel especially painful and alienating. Several friends have lost loved ones this year, and they’re in my heart at this time. Last November I wrote a column on managing grief and loss during the holidays for The Sunday Oakland Press. For those who don’t subscribe to the newspaper and can’t open the article links, I’m reposting the column below. EMPTY CHAIRS AT CHRISTMAS, by Cindy La Ferle for The Oakland Press My mother died three months before Christmas…
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Some thoughts on holiday charity
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” ~William James It’s easy to dismiss our own actions as inconsequential drops in the bucket of the grand scheme of things. But as William James reminds us in today’s quote, that isn’t true. And before I get started here, I should add that I’m not campaigning for the Salvation Army, though I do appreciate the organization’s year-long efforts to help others in need. But I think about William James’s quote nearly every time I pass the folks who are ringing bells at the entrance of my local grocery store. Since I visit this market almost daily, I encounter these…
