Just a few days ago was the first showing of Elf (yes, the Christmas movie) at my house. I know it's a little early in October for that, but I love the magic feeling that Christmas brings. I had so much fun watching with the kids and the hubby, laughing and remembering what Christmas felt like when I was younger. I think most people reach an age or a time when they wonder, What ever happened to that "Christmas Spirit" feeling I had as a kid?
We try to calculate a formula as to what exactly it was that brought it out. Put in the Bing Crosby record, find that one scented candle you remember, set out homemade nativities from grade school. One year after we had grown, my siblings and I actually broke into a fight about what garland to put on the tree and what music counts as Christmas music--my Beach Boys Christmas music did not make the list.
It's that magical feeling, where did it go? I smell hints of it when I am with my kids, when they smile at me because they know they just did something impressive, or when they sing a new song. When my husband sees that I need a break and takes me away from it all for just a little while, even though I feel like I really don't deserve it at the time, that feeling comes back. Like getting a present in the mail from an uncle, my family is a surprise that I wasn't expecting.
When God saw his people suffering a long time ago, he came down here himself, even though he was a god. He came to give us all something we longed for, love. Love that we don't feel like we really deserve. He even took the time to guide us while he was here. For three years he told us things to help us live healthier, happier lives, kind of like an uncle. God showed us what it means to be family, what love is supposed to look like.
Now when I look for that magic feeling, I look to my kids, to my husband, and to my God. Love is the reason for the season. And we can spread that feeling to others by showing love. But, of course, it doesn't hurt to turn on Elf and decorate the tree to help the kids get that magical feeling, too. : D
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Cinderella Never had to Apologize
There have been a few youngins who have asked me about marriage, what it is like, and if I have any advice. "Oh! Yes!" I say, I love giving advice. (Sorry to those who did not want it!) I already have a mental lecture put together for just such the occasion. Here are four serious things that anyone married or getting married should probably consider. Unfortunately they do not all start with the same letter.
1. Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?
Your spouse/future spouse is human. We cannot expect perfection from them. Surprise! This seems obvious, but after watching Cinderella, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, etc., our brains are programmed to expect constant happiness, security, and star-stricken obsessive love for us, all coming from this magical person we found singing in the forest. But there is nothing about the human condition that allows for constant happiness, nothing about this dog-eat-dog world that allows for perfect security, and no matter how awesome I think I am, my spouse is going to have days, weeks, or you know, longer... where I'm not their favorite person. Which brings me to my next point:
2. Apologize Apologize APOLOGIZE!
Especially when I first got married, I would grit my teeth and force myself to at least mumble an apology, until I got better at it where I would actually say it audibly. It seemed like I was doing this twice a day or more at first, and I'm probably just getting lazy now, but I never fail to amaze myself at how horribly selfish I can be (family is not allowed to comment here). Sometimes the thing I am apologizing for seems unimportant to me, small, unnecessary to apologize for. But here's the kicker: he has a different opinion than me! Whoa. So, it's like a pebble in the shoe, even though it is small, if I don't get it out of there, it's going to keep rubbing. Then so will all those other pebbles, over years of wear, eventually destroying both the foot and the shoe. It is never too late to remove them. "Hey, sorry I always take the last of the ice cream, I know that bugs you, do you want it this time?" or even, "do you want to share it with me this time?" If you can't go all the way, compromise.
3. "I do everything around here!"
Guess who else is thinking that? The idea is that each spouse is supposed to do 50%. But somebody told me once that if you don't feel like you're doing 90%, you probably aren't doing enough. Keep an eye on that other person and see what they are doing, it is probably different than what you do, because they probably think different things are important. Well, here we are again with the fact that they have a different opinion. Weird. The thing you've been stewing about for twelve years, they didn't even know they were doing because it wasn't important to them, so maybe instead of getting bitter, you should:
4. Tell them.
On television, there's always the girl who shouts, "If you don't know what you did wrong, then that's even worse!" still leaving the guy bewildered, and to his knowledge, innocent. Maybe your spouse grew up in a house where dishes were done immediately after the meal, and you were brought up in a house where you do them as the food is cooking, before the meal. (Disclaimer: If anyone I know has this issue, I'm not talking about you, I didn't know you had this issue) So when the dishes lay there until the next meal, your spouse gets aggravated, but you don't know what all the crankiness is about. But by the next meal, the bad mood has lifted, so you come to the conclusion that when they are cranky, feed them and they will perk up! Talk about confusing! If this were my problem, I would prefer my spouse approach me and say, "could we do the dishes right after we eat?" Note the word "we" there. When you ask someone to go out of their way and change, it's a good idea to pitch in, at least at first. I might actually agree to do that, even though I don't want to, since he was nice about it. If he mumbled loudly from the living room, "that kitchen stinks!" I would definitely go do something else in a room where he is not, and be mad at him for the rest of the night, hurt by his frank criticism. (which, by the way, is completely unlike my husband) Tell them the problem before you are mad or bitter about it, and think really hard about how you could say it without stabbing them in the heart. A side note: it takes a long time to build or break old habits, so don't expect obvious improvement right away, you may have to ask nicely again and again.
In summary, your spouse is fallible, your spouse is not you, and your spouse cannot read minds. Hmm. Something to think about.
1. Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?
Your spouse/future spouse is human. We cannot expect perfection from them. Surprise! This seems obvious, but after watching Cinderella, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, etc., our brains are programmed to expect constant happiness, security, and star-stricken obsessive love for us, all coming from this magical person we found singing in the forest. But there is nothing about the human condition that allows for constant happiness, nothing about this dog-eat-dog world that allows for perfect security, and no matter how awesome I think I am, my spouse is going to have days, weeks, or you know, longer... where I'm not their favorite person. Which brings me to my next point:
2. Apologize Apologize APOLOGIZE!
Especially when I first got married, I would grit my teeth and force myself to at least mumble an apology, until I got better at it where I would actually say it audibly. It seemed like I was doing this twice a day or more at first, and I'm probably just getting lazy now, but I never fail to amaze myself at how horribly selfish I can be (family is not allowed to comment here). Sometimes the thing I am apologizing for seems unimportant to me, small, unnecessary to apologize for. But here's the kicker: he has a different opinion than me! Whoa. So, it's like a pebble in the shoe, even though it is small, if I don't get it out of there, it's going to keep rubbing. Then so will all those other pebbles, over years of wear, eventually destroying both the foot and the shoe. It is never too late to remove them. "Hey, sorry I always take the last of the ice cream, I know that bugs you, do you want it this time?" or even, "do you want to share it with me this time?" If you can't go all the way, compromise.
3. "I do everything around here!"
Guess who else is thinking that? The idea is that each spouse is supposed to do 50%. But somebody told me once that if you don't feel like you're doing 90%, you probably aren't doing enough. Keep an eye on that other person and see what they are doing, it is probably different than what you do, because they probably think different things are important. Well, here we are again with the fact that they have a different opinion. Weird. The thing you've been stewing about for twelve years, they didn't even know they were doing because it wasn't important to them, so maybe instead of getting bitter, you should:
4. Tell them.
On television, there's always the girl who shouts, "If you don't know what you did wrong, then that's even worse!" still leaving the guy bewildered, and to his knowledge, innocent. Maybe your spouse grew up in a house where dishes were done immediately after the meal, and you were brought up in a house where you do them as the food is cooking, before the meal. (Disclaimer: If anyone I know has this issue, I'm not talking about you, I didn't know you had this issue) So when the dishes lay there until the next meal, your spouse gets aggravated, but you don't know what all the crankiness is about. But by the next meal, the bad mood has lifted, so you come to the conclusion that when they are cranky, feed them and they will perk up! Talk about confusing! If this were my problem, I would prefer my spouse approach me and say, "could we do the dishes right after we eat?" Note the word "we" there. When you ask someone to go out of their way and change, it's a good idea to pitch in, at least at first. I might actually agree to do that, even though I don't want to, since he was nice about it. If he mumbled loudly from the living room, "that kitchen stinks!" I would definitely go do something else in a room where he is not, and be mad at him for the rest of the night, hurt by his frank criticism. (which, by the way, is completely unlike my husband) Tell them the problem before you are mad or bitter about it, and think really hard about how you could say it without stabbing them in the heart. A side note: it takes a long time to build or break old habits, so don't expect obvious improvement right away, you may have to ask nicely again and again.
In summary, your spouse is fallible, your spouse is not you, and your spouse cannot read minds. Hmm. Something to think about.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
My Hand at Fiction
Terrified by the mystery that lay ahead, but pressing on, an old man made his way across an endless desert. Family in tow, carrying various livestock animals and pushing the rest forward, this man was headstrong. Something better was on the other side of all this dust and sand, and even if he never reached it, perhaps his family would.
Last night at the camp they had made, his wife had lost her calm. The tents nearby knew it. He had a lump on his head from something flung in the dark, and now the subservient lack of eye contact among those following him was for yet another reason. To walk for days, weeks, without a visible mark of progress had been a trying test to these people. If it were not for the memory of the encounter that caused this expedition, he would have turned back long ago. But now, he could not remember if it were an encounter or only a dream. Even so, a dream would have been enough to move him to such a place, if not only for the hope of such a place. Things would be so much easier there, with lush vegetation, fresh cool water--the water alone kept him going now! His children and grandchildren would laugh and play together. He could offer them cakes and milk.
He turned to look at those children and grandchildren. They were worse than before. But when a god comes down, uses his own voice and speaks, one does not second guess. He does as he's told. The gods that his father had taught him to serve never seemed to take notice of the people down here. Only by trial and error of various gifts to each god told the people how to persuade them to release the waters or heal the sick. But this, directly speaking to a man, this was monumental. One does not ignore a voice like that, especially when promises are made.
Hopefully this was a trustworthy god, not one who toyed with the people and watched them suffer. He tried not to think of that possibility, because even if this was a cruel god, choosing to do as he says would be wiser than going against him.
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