My oldest friend – scratch that. Let me reword it – the friend I’ve known the longest in my life sounds much better, right? She’s not old. She’s four years younger than I am. Anyway, I’ve known Robin Rene Foudray Robo Car Wash Riley since 1974. I was her roommate for awhile and she is one of the most giving persons I know.
Robin is the first one who taught me about giving. She would do things like see I had a rough day and bring me a cup of tea. She shared freely of anything she owned. She is the epitome of the words, “generous and giver.”
Robin used to work for Hallmark. I don’t know if that is when she began this tradition or not, but it was around that time. She began sending me cards for EVERY holiday or everything you could send a card for – from July 4th and Mother’s Day to the more obscure ones like St. Patrick’s day.
Without fail (except for the few times she couldn’t find me), she sent cards. After I had my son, she sent him cards with $1 in them for years – which thrilled him to no end.
Thirty-three years later (oh yikes! I’m dating myself), Robin still sends cards – every holiday and celebration, without fail. This is an amazing form of giving that always brings me a smile and “feel good” feeling. This is a tradition worth celebrating.
My friend Nell has family tradition at Christmas: “Before we open presents on Christmas Eve, we each have to either, read a poem, do a skit, sing/dance or play an instrument.” This sounds like torture to me, especially if people can’t sing or dance or play!! I assume her family is very talented. But they have another tradition, too: “After we open gifts, we write on a piece of paper our prayers and desires for the up coming year. We put them away and open the ones we wrote from the previous year.”
People have a bad habit of developing traditions that are not good. EVERY year, people scurry around in a panic, desperate to find those last-minute gifts. Tempers are frayed. Patience is at an end. Politeness is no where to be found. There are parties to attend or give, extra gifts to buy, musicals to either put on, be in, or listen to, food to eat, dinners to fix, cookies to bake, candy to indulge in, diets to worry about, houses to clean, cards to either email or find, address, stamp and snail mail, gifts to wrap and hide (and remember where you hid them), AND ON AND ON AND ON.
Why do I call this a tradition? One meaning is of the word tradition is, “an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior.” If we are stressed every year, it is a tradition! If we become depressed, it is a tradition! If we overeat every year at this time, it is a tradition!
Let’s replace those traditions with better ones. Let’s develop more patience. Let’s keep our tempers. Let’s be polite to everyone, even scroogey people. Let’s take time for sitting and contemplating our belly buttons. No, that’s not right. Contemplating… what we are thankful for! There is so much to be joyful about.
Click here for something I received in my email today – right along this line. It is sure to make you smile!
Christmas isn’t about THINGS. Christmas is about memories, good traditions, and love. Christmas is about Jesus, because without Him, there would be no Christmas. Christmas is about thankfulness and JOY.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
