MERRY HAPPY CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY

“Merry Christmas!” the lady behind the counter said to me as I happily met her gaze,

while the clerk at another store said, “Happy Holidays”.

The person next to me in line…instead of taking a moment to rejoice,

replied, “I say Merry Christmas,” with anger in her voice. 

When I hear how Happy Holidays makes people upset I must admit I am amazed.

after all Happy Holidays comes from an Old English greeting meaning happy holy days.

Happy Holy Days…whatever religion…whether your a Republican or Democrat

means dedicating the season to your God…who could object to that?

I have heard Happy Hanukkah, Peace and Love from people I’ve been meeting

Some say have a wonderful day…others…Season’s Greetings…

I always smile at their kindness…that they thought to greet me in this way,

and I might respond, “the same to you, Merry Christmas or Happy Holiday.”

You see I don’t care what this day or that day or the next day may be called…

when it come to a person’s kindness…I will never be appalled….

at how they choose to greet me…in the winter, spring or fall

I’m just happy and feel privileged…they are greeting me at all.

When people get upset at Happy Holiday this season 

it might help if we remind them…

not react to the words people use to greet us…

but to the kindness that’s behind them.

FORGIVENESS

Some people think forgiveness makes you weak…while others would agree

forgiveness doesn’t make you weak…forgiveness sets you free.

I recently read about a man whose faith in himself never quit

as he spent 30 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit…

Imagine his euphoria, his jubilation….his relief when he finally learned 

after 30 years on death row, his conviction was overturned.

After 30 years of heartbreak, of sadness, of frustration, grief and pain…

when he was released he could not wait to walk out in the rain…

For 30 years isolated, cooped up inside his prison cell…it is easy for one to see…

How he needed to feel the rain upon his face to know he was finally free.

When he was asked about the people who put him away…

about the hatred and rancor that had driven them…

He said without a touch of malice…I have long ago forgiven them.

If you wonder why when they took 30 years of his life

he isn’t angry… he isn’t blue….

to this he answers: If I stay angry and unforgiving…

they’ll take the rest of my life too.

To those who think forgiveness is a sign of weakness

people like Anthony Ray Hinton prove them wrong…

They prove beyond a shadow of a doubt…

forgiveness is the essence of the strong.

Forgiveness allows you to live free of animosity.

It allows you to move on past the pain.

It allows a smile to return again and again

every time you walk out in the rain.

ENCOURAGE THE COURAGE

He was born with eyes of blue and you can imagine his surprise

When he was told he had to change their color…or he’d be ostracized.

But I can’t change the color of my eyes!” he said…they’ve been with me since I was born.

“You can if you pray hard enough!” they told him…and he began to mourn.

“He loved different flavors of ice cream mixed together.”

Only to be told he must keep them separated…

“But they taste so much better when they’re all blended” he argued…

and immediately…he was berated.

“Different flavors are not meant to be mixed together.” they said.

and because they had no reason why…

The little boy put his face in his hands…and he began to cry.

He loved listening to his music…he’d dance…he’d sing…he’d soar

Until they told him he had to turn it off…he couldn’t listen to his music anymore.

They told him the kind of music he must listen to…

The melodies he must keep…

The little boy listened to their musical alternative…then he began to weep.

He fell in love with a person who also had blue eyes…and you can imagine their dread

and the hurt inside their hearts…when they were told they could never wed?

“But we love each other!” they implored.  “We want to be married…to say ‘I do’

"Oh that’s impossible.” They were told. 

“You cannot love another person with the same blue eyes as you.”

But they looked into each other’s eyes…they smiled…and changed their fate that day.

when they decided not to listen to those voices…and were married anyway…

And their children grew up in a house filled with encouragement…

filled with laughter …and love…but not fear!

And they listened to whatever music they liked…

A cornucopia for the ears.

And their children had the most beautiful eyes of blue…

which they were proud of but never flaunted…

They loved whom they loved with all of their heart…

and ate ice cream any way that they wanted…

And they will instill in their children these same values 

which they know will help them go far…

To be happy, content and possessed with the confidence…

and the courage to be who they are…

For the secret to happiness is freedom…

and if we want to live in a land…truly free

Then we must encourage the courage in our children…

to be…who they were meant to be.

SUPERBOY

Deborah and I were in the grocery store…our shopping almost done

When they swooped by us holding hands…a mother and her son.

The boy was wearing a blue cap, jeans and a shirt like Superman’s.

He struggled to pull away from his mother’s grasp…

but she had other plans.

“I have to hold your hand.” she said, ““I won’t let go…I won’t.”

Still trying desperately to get free the boy replied, 

“Uh Mom…you really don’t.”

“You don’t know how to behave.” His mom said, her face showing concern…

“But if you don’t ever let me go,” he retorted, 

“how will I ever learn?”

“But you’ll fly all over the store! She said…”I can’t keep track of you.”

“Mom,” he said in all seriousness… “Isn’t that what Superman would do?”

“OK,” she said, “but I can’t have you running around going one way then the other…

I believe even Superman, when he was SuperBoy, would listen to his mother.”

They boy thought about his mother’s words…after all they were affecting.

“OK Mom, I’ll stay by you.” he said, “besides you need protecting.”

So off they went together…both happy with their new plan…

as SuperBoy learned the first lesson in becoming Superman…

For if Superman is ever going to learn to act with integrity and aplomb

he first must learn to heed the words…and obey his Supermom.

As we left the store I noticed a blue dot in the sky…

And since he kept his word and did not roam…

I wondered was it a bird…a plane…

or did she graciously acquiesce 

and let her SuperBoy fly home.

WHAT'S IN A NAME

WHAT’S IN A NAME

How do we evaluate our life…to know if…with our life…we are enthralled? 

One way is to look back and try to remember all the names we have been called.

Early on…in my mother’s womb…baby was the first of all my names

When I was born, from the Bible, I was given the name of James.

I’ve been called Joy (my initials), Otto (my middle name), Elf (don’t ask-too grim)

I’ve been called Yermy, Yerman, Jimmy but most people know me as Jim.

I’ve been called, too short, too young, too old and though my perspective is a bit sunny

apparently I’m the only one in this world who has ever called me too funny.

I’ve been called a boy, a teenager, a man, a student, a teacher…a friend

And after spending 40 dollars on the internet…I’m also called Reverend.

I’v been called mister, and sir…and some names that have made me angry or sad

I’ve been called boyfriend, husband and father…although it sounds much better when they call me Dad.

I’ve been called PopPop four different times now…and the other day I was given pause…

when a little boy I never met before, called me Santa Claus.

All the different names I’ve been called…have gone in to the creation of me…

Each title carries a meaning all its own…each name evokes a memory.

I don’t mind all the names I’ve been given…I don’t care that they’re not all the same

I’m just glad to be making new memories every time someone call out my name.

Perhaps the best way to evaluate our life…

the best way to feel enthralled 

is to sit back, smile and think about…

all the names we have been called.

WHY DO WE COME TO THE WATER

Why do we come to the water?  

Why along its shores do we stroll?

Perhaps it’s one way to replenish our hearts…

a way to enliven our souls.

Why do we come to the forests…

Why do the trees and the animals we embrace?

Could it be in the forest time has no meaning…

the world moves at a much slower pace.

Why are we silent at a sunset…

why does a sunrise make us smile…

Perhaps they help put the ills of the world behind us…

if only for a little while.

Why do we walk among the flowers 

that paint their colors on the ground…

Perhaps to be surrounded by the splendor of nature… 

to feel her beauty all around.

For nature lives by a different set of rules…

not by the rules of man

Nature does not affix labels to herself…

the way that mankind can.

In nature there is no prejudice, no sexism…

no homophobia filling the air

No abuse, no hatred, no bitterness…

no racism anywhere…

Nature knows it’s species are different…

but still part of the same habitat…

She never give her creatures demeaning names…

like ugly or stupid or fat…

Nature accepts and celebrates her multiplicity…

and strives to keep all her species alive…

For she knows without this wonderful medley…

nature, herself, wouldn’t survive.

Perhaps that’s why we come to the water…to the forest…to the flowers…

to experience beauty in her diversity…

To come to a place…

unlike the one we’ve created for ourselves…

to encounter life as it was designed to be.

JUST LIKE OUR PARENTS

It’s funny how time changes things…like the shores that are transformed by the sea…

For instance there was a large generation gap between my parents and their parents

a smaller one between my parents and me.

Still there were things my parents did that were embarrassing…

things I silently overcame

And I’m sure after all of our years together…Deborah must feel the same.

My dad would walk around in his underwear…boy was my face red!

Deborah’s mom would ask where her glasses were when they were sitting on top of her head.

Sometimes when they walked into a room…they’d forget what they came in for… 

Deborah’s mom always talked a little too loud…my dad walked into sliding glass doors.

One time my parents videotaped our family playing in a river…

as Deborah and I watched the movie we laughed, we giggled and we scoffed

most of the movie was just Mom and Dad’s conversation…

It seems they forgot to turn the video camera off…

Needless to say, growing up with our parents…

was an endless and sometimes perplexing parade

and when Deborah and I wed we made each other a promise 

not to make the same mistakes that they made.

And we thought we were keeping our promise 

until the other day when Deborah’s face turned bright red…

after she asked me if I’d seen her glasses 

and I mentioned they were there on the top of head.

It was heading outside that I had to wonder if by my dad I had been cursed…

when I walked into our French Doors- apparently you have to open them first!

And I’m not sure how many times we’ve had to call each other 

because apparently we’re both prone…

To not only forgetting why we came into a room…but of also misplacing our phones.

The last time I called Deb’s phone…when we found …we both had to scoff

as we listened to an entire conversation we had…

because we forgot to turn our telephones off…

Initially we laughed until we realized the truth

then our mood turned a little sad

It seems despite our best efforts to the contrary

we have transformed into our mom and our dad.

Deborah talks much softer and I don’t walk around in my underwear…

But we take little consolation these habits aren’t cropping up…

because no matter how we try to keep them down

our parents habits just keep popping up!

We’re not sure when time transformed us…

when our lives officially ran amok…

but our hope now lies with the next generation…

perhaps our children will have better luck!