The End Of Another Year

I must admit that I am a little envious of my youngest son. Tomorrow I am driving him to the airport for a flight to Europe and a trip that will last nearly three weeks. His first stop is a week in London England, followed by ten days in Rome, Italy. While in Rome he will be visiting the Vatican and seeing the Pope. As most of you know, my son is a Deacon and will be ordained a priest in May. Going to Rome is basically a trip to “Corporate”. While he is there my wife and I will continue the tradition of spending New Year’s Eve at home with our granddaughter. She has spent every New Year’s Eve at our house as long as she’s been alive. We will start the day with a trip to the movies to see “The Hobbit”. I feel certain she will wear the Gollum tee shirt that she got for Christmas. If you don’t know who Gollum is, it is too late to catch you up. The night of New Year’s Eve we will party by making pigs in a blanket and other high fat, high carb delights that have absolutely no nutritional value. We will try to stay awake long enough to watch the ball drop in Times Square but many years we don’t make it because we are all falling asleep. Eating bad food and staying up till midnight is about as wild as my life gets these days. Still, I would rather be with my granddaughter than with the thousands of people in Times Square or downtown Louisville. 2012 has been a good year and I look forward to 2013 as I begin my 62nd year of living. As soon as the holidays are behind us my wife will be on a “mission from God” to prepare for my son’s ordination. She will be a woman possessed. Pray for me.

The Christmas Anti-Climax

I am back in the office after a few days of vacation.  Once again my family and I were blessed this Christmas. Although we had to make some adjustments this year in terms of scheduling, it all worked out fine. Today I am trying to maintain my Christmas joy but I always experience a bit of a Christmas anti-climax once Christmas Day has passed. I was talking to my friend Fr. Dennis yesterday and we discussed how Christmas Day is the beginning of the Christmas season in the liturgical life of the Church but it is often the last day of the season for many people in the secular world. Yes, I know we still have New Year’s Day to go but I don’t personally associate that day with Christmas. I did very well this Christmas which means that Santa must have turned a blind eye towards some of my behavior in 2012. I already have one big goal in 2013 and that is to get my first book published. That process has begun already but hopefully will pick up speed once the holidays are behind us. For now, though, I sit here feeling much gratitude for all the gifts I have received in 2012 whether they were material gifts, gifts of the heart, or just good things that came my way as I lived each day. As we get ready to embark on a new year, I hope all of your lives are blessed and filled with good things.

Magic And Believing

Last night I dreamed I had a one on one with the Dalai Lama. I was expecting to receive a word of wisdom from him. Instead I found myself giving him a foot massage. When I told my wife about my dream this morning, she replied, “At least he didn’t say BESURETODRINKYOUROVALTINE”!

I told this story a long time ago but many of you probably didn’t hear it and it bears repeating. When my granddaughter was three or four years old she picked up one of the Magi from my Christmas crib. She looked at me and said, “Paw Paw, is this the Burger King”? I think most of you probably remember the old Burger King commercials. They have since been discontinued because the Burger King was a little creepy. With a child in my family, Christmas still has magic. It’s always a little sad when children stop believing in magic. This reminds me of a great line from a mini-series that I watched many years ago about the days of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. At the end of the show the magician Merlin sadly says “There’s no more magic because the people no longer believe”. When the magic and the pixie dust disappear from our lives, the world gets a little darker. I can only take so much reality and I get tired of being an adult. I think that’s why I appreciate my granddaughter so much. Even if she can’t slow down or reverse the aging of my body, she keeps my spirit and heart young. I think that’s why children and grandparents get along so well. Chloe is a child growing into an adult. Grandparents are older people turning back into children. When grandchildren and grandparents are the same emotional age, all is bliss. I hope there is still magic and a little pixie dust in your lives. If not, go to the magic store and buy some. This time of year they're always on sale.

My Christmas

As Christmas Day approaches my inner child gets more excited. Although I am confident I will receive some nice and thoughtful gifts, I find more joy in the happiness of others. My wife and I are generous with our children and granddaughter. I have the empty wallet to prove it. Although many people think I look like Santa Claus, my wife is the real Santa Claus in our family. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day used to be a lot busier for me. There were parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles to visit. Now my wife and I are the older generation. My mother is still alive so we go to her house on Christmas Eve, followed by a visit to a sister in law’s for my wife’s side of the family. Christmas Day, however, I get to stay home and my brood comes to my house. In years past I was very busy and a little stressed because I basically prepared the equivalent of the Frisch’s Breakfast Bar for my family. Since my youngest son is now a Deacon and must be present at Christmas masses in the parish where he is assigned, my family Christmas celebration and exchange of gifts will not happen until Christmas afternoon this year. This allows Santa and Mrs. Claus to sleep in a little and not be so rushed. Since we are having a Christmas dinner instead of breakfast, Mark’s Feed Store will be catering the meal and I will have no kitchen responsibilities. I am very happy about that. The best part of Christmas, however, is my granddaughter. She still believes in Santa and she will be wild with excitement. To be honest, she is not 100% sure I am not really Santa. A few years ago I went to her daycare center about this time of year dressed in a red hat and coat. I created a small riot among the children. Some thought it was very cool that Chloe’s Paw Paw was Santa Claus. Since I won’t see Chloe again until Christmas Day I have finally gotten a break from the Elf on a Shelf. I’ve exhausted myself moving that little guy around the house!

I Can Dance!

I might be getting old but I can still dance and I've got the moves!  Check me out!

Family Stability

One of my children recently gave my wife and me a compliment. That in and of itself is an historical event. A few days ago my oldest son said “Mom, you and Dad are the only people I know who have stayed married and you’ve always been there for me no matter what”. This realization came to him because of family complications that often become evident around Christmas time and other holidays. In my own family we are having to make adjustments this year because of new people and new situations. There is no doubt that the definition of family has evolved over the years. However, I don’t think the evolution of what family means is the problem. I think the problem is the instability that many children and even some adults feel as relationships change, people come and go in our lives, and emotional adjustments must be made. I have not found marriage and family life to be a walk in the park by any means. I’m sure my wife would say the same. It’s been a lot of work. However, for the sake of my children and my granddaughter, I am happy that my wife and I have stuck together. We all need a safe harbor in our lives and I am glad my wife and I can be that for our sons and granddaughter. My parents and my wife’s parents were both married over 50 years. I appreciate the effort they made to do that and I hope my children appreciate the effort my wife and I have made. A sense of stability is part of feeling secure. I understand that some relationships need to end and I am not being judgmental or critical of others. I also understand that some relationships end that cause heartbreak. However, when you grow up and become an adult, relationships are not like going steady in high school. At some point one must choose wisely, make a commitment, be faithful, do the work, and hope for some good luck.

The Unfiltered Life

It is said that every time two people meet there are six people in the room.  For each person there is the person they think they are, the person the other person thinks they are, and the person they really are.  I was thinking about this after reading some thoughts on how to see life and reality unfiltered.  Let’s be honest.  Few of us see life as it really is.  Most of us see life and reality through a variety of filters.  These filters, much like the many layers of our personalities, have been formed throughout our lives by all the experiences we’ve had, the way we were raised, and, in many cases, by our education or lack of it.  It’s probably safe to say that few of us truly see things the same way.  In the work environment, for example, there are people who are very happy and content.  There are some people, however, who think they are in a concentration camp.  Some people are happy with everything while others are happy with nothing.  Our happiness is generally in direct proportion to our gratitude.  Some people are grateful just to wake up in the morning and realize they have been given another day of life.  Others people are never grateful for anything.  Why are some people happy and grateful while others are unhappy and feeling like nothing good ever happens to them?  Certainly attitude is a big factor.  Another factor, however, is how unfiltered your life is and how much you are able to see life realistically.