Move on, Love, and Shine Your Light this Holiday

What a beautiful life! I’m inspired today to share with you my wishes for a deep, loving and profound Christmas. Whether you have family who are easy to be with or family members who are difficult and test your patience and love, I am hoping you will tap into your kindness bag and forgiveness satchel and offer peace, understanding and love to those who are your biological and spiritual family.

Feel and Share Your Gratitude at Holiday Time

The extra time we have at holiday time could be spent in more thought, reflecting on gratitude, those who have given to us when we most needed it, those who took care of us when we were not able, and those who gave selflessly, even when we didn’t show our thankfulness.

Thanks to Those Friends and Family Early in Life

I want to thank all my Deer Creek friends and family for all they did for me in difficult times. I’m in deep repose remembering my extended family in Wisconsin, growing up feeling overwhelming love and family, family, family! My sorority sisters in Sigma Kappa who gave me a broader and more diversified sense of acceptance and family, you are precious to me. All my adult friends and family in Las Vegas, San Diego and around the world – you bring light and laughter to me always.

Thankfulness for Children

My children in this lifetime have given me more love and lessons than I dare recall – Paul, Kamala, Tom, Dina, Scott and Nannette, and Shannon – may you all be very blessed and filled with joy this Christmas.

Thanks for Siblings and Best Friends

My heart is overflowing with love as I think of Sis – Dorene and Tim (her most adorable husband) both filled with devotion and benevolence to family. You are the treasures of my life and are always in my heart. My best friends, Paul and Mary Ann who are joys in my life for 42 years, and Charles, the friend who resonates with who I am – you are the jewels in my life, dear ones .

Gratitude for the Love of My Life

Last and not least I am grateful for George, my loving Sweetheart who brings me bliss and wonders. We get to experience the appreciation and savoring of each other’s life experiences. You enchant and charm me. You bring me wisdom and love. You wake up something delightful in me and I love the way we dance through life.

Gratitude and Blessings for Parents

I’d love to have my parents here for another Christmas, but I carry them in my heart and memories with the love of a lifetime. Thank you for creating me and giving me the foundations of being a good woman and person of the world. Thank you for teaching me all that you could open in my world. Thanks for the self-esteem and courage you gave me. Thanks also for the independence you imbued in me; the acceptance and understanding you instilled in me; the spirit and zest you gave me for life; curiosity and appreciation of beauty and excellence as strengths you passed on; and all the love! My wish is that you could see whom I have become and how much I would love to give and share with you. I thank God for having you as my parents – you are the best!

Family Relationships are Not Always Easy or Smooth

I do not have relationships with this large family where we always get along, or even like each other at times. Some connections have had damage and ruptured paths. Some have healed and some have bitten the dust and gone kaput – there for the experience but not a lifetime.

Transcending Our Little Selves

Life is full of lessons and we all have the opportunity to learn to be better persons, better family members, and more loving humanitarians… We have the chance to transcend our limited thinking and unacceptable behaviors. I’d love “do overs” but that is not how it works. With each chapter of my life I believe I do better. I send extra love and gratitude to those who have been in my life earlier.

Get Over It!

Charles’ favorite saying to those struggling about all but very serious issues is, “Get over it!” I would like to encourage you to listen to that wisdom and take heed. Make this a happy holiday season with family by getting over your selfish, self-centered stuff. Most of it doesn’t matter. Heal your hurts – think about it from another perspective. Life is really too short to dwell on it, whine about it, or try to prove you are right about it. Don’t lose wonderful times with family by being self-righteous. Just be kind. If you have difficulties with your family, get beyond the petty problems, let go, accept your responsibility, forgive, and take the high road – show them love and kindness this holiday season. They are in your life to help you – rekindling your spark. Be sure you find that love with the most difficult ones. Get your lesson and pass with 100% this season.

Take good care of yourself and then be kind to those in your family. Shine your Light brightly this holiday season!