Yes, I’ve been missing in action in your mailbox. I know, I know, I know. I’ll try and do better in 2021. Like me, many of you can’t wait for next year. This has been a year full of surprises, ups and downs, and challenges all around. You are not alone if you are feeling lost in a desert of fear and anxiety, are out of work, or quarantining from family and friends this season.
This year, Christmas will look very different than in past times for me. There will be no large gathering of family at our home, no big feast that takes days to prepare, no laughter that fills the room. In fact, my husband won’t even be present for most of the day. Instead, he will be at the hospital, doing everything in his power as a nurse to save the lives of those that are gravely ill due to the pandemic.
On the upside of things, for weeks, I’ve been watching people put up their Christmas trees early, lighting their homes with beautiful strands of lights, and decorating their yards with snowmen and reindeer. Usually, I’m the one that doesn’t want to see any of that stuff until after Thanksgiving, so not so sure why, but it warmed my heart to see it early this year.
There is something about Christmas that holds magic for me, even under stressful situations. I think of my favorite Christmas movie, It’s A Wonderful Life, where George Bailey’s life hasn’t gone as planned, and he is contemplating jumping off a bridge on Christmas Eve. His guardian angel appears just when he is most needed, and shows George how his life has actually affected others in such positive ways and how different life would be for those in his life if he had not been born.
I love this movie because it’s exactly how I think about life. There are things we may do in life that will make a world of difference for someone else. Sometimes, we won’t even know that we even had an effect on them or their life. Kindness can make a world of difference to someone, at just the right moment. I believe there is no act of kindness that is too small, and no smile that is never not needed. We just don’t know what the person next to us is currently going through.
I remember a couple of weeks ago, I was standing in line at the post office. I was in a bad mood and the last place I wanted to be was in the post office full of “COVID-19” people. Then, a very elderly couple walked in. I witnessed how just the simple act of opening the door and walking in, took both of them working in sync to get this accomplished. Next, they had to fill out the correct shipping label and seal the box, all of which seemed to be a challenge. I tried to mind my own business, but it became impossible to stand idle and listen to them struggling with what is a simple task for me. I stepped out of line and helped them fill out the correct label, and then I used my tape and sealed their package for them.
For me, I did nothing but a simple act of kindness with nothing expected in return. But later, as I reflected on the incident, and the mood I’d been in, it warmed my heart that I was there, in a place that I didn’t want to be, and they were the ones who actually helped me learn to smile again that day.
In the current book I am working on, one of the main character’s, Gideon Miller, is a young man whose life hasn’t gone as planned. In a moment when he least expects it, someone comes into his life out of nowhere, and has the power to change everything.
So, in closing, as we go through the next couple of weeks, I wish the very best for you this Christmas season. Let it not be about material things, but about being in a state of mind that includes spreading kindness and joy to everyone around you.
Merry Christmas from my family, to yours..
Warmly,
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Rickey Quinn says
Love this post. One of your best! Merry a Christmas to you and your family!!!
Bryan T. Clark says
Thank you Rickey!!!! FYI, you put a smile on my hubby’s face like I haven’t see in months. He really needed that. Merry Christmas xoxoxoxox
Becca Waldrop says
Thanks for this. It has been a very hard year, as you well know. I’m used to it basically being my kid and I, as I had to walk away from toxicity of family long ago. But this year with the pandemic, it’s been harder. With her missing out on so many milestones a teenager is supposed to have. But I try to remember she is age and healthy and although mental health issues weigh at her, she in good hands with decent people trying to get her in a good frame of mind. So I’m grateful for that. And that’s a positive she once didn’t have. I’m so sorry you will miss being with your hubby and at the same time grateful he is in a job that helps. Although I pray for his health and safety as well. You’re right that it’s not about material things, but I think this year with everything going on people are using them more to cope. I know we are trying to. But I’m glad I have my kid and rambunctious bunny. We have a roof over our heads and heat to keep out the cold. We may not much food or other things but we are doing all we can and staying together, safe and healthy.
I hope you still get to have a wonderful holiday season. Much love and prayers for you and yours
.❤️
Bryan T. Clark says
Becca, thank you for your kind words. One of the things I cherish most are my friendships. I’m not a person who gets close to many people, so when I do find people that I click with, I want to preserve them as them everything to me. I try not to by sad that hubby is working, as the work that he is doing is far more important at this time. He is damn good at what he does and exactly what we need out there on the frontline. Have a Merry Christmas my friend!
Kevin Pope says
Wow. You have really captured what is going on. Things are far from normal these days but there is hope as well, yet it does seem that the little things that do turn out to mean the most. Merry Christmas from our home to yours?
Bryan T. Clark says
You’re so right Kevin. Hope that you are staying safe in these troubling times.
Kevin Pope says
We are fortunate here as our Government tackled the pandemic from the start, taking control. With a population of just under 1 million in our province our total Covid cases are currently around the 100 active mark.
Bryan T. Clark says
So many countries did the right thing as quickly as they could. I hope that our next administration can get a better handle on this pandemic with the help of the new vaccines. FYI Justin Trudeau is soooo easy on the eyes to look at. Love that man!!
Doug Mattheis says
Merry Christmas my friend may the holidays bring you peace, joy, and love
Bryan T. Clark says
Thanks Doug, and a Merry Christmas to you as well!!!
Charlotte Andrews says
Your simple but beautiful story filled my heart with joy today!
Bryan T. Clark says
To you and your family, Merry Christmas!!!