December 10, 2006

• Jamaica Me Crazy ...

  I keep hearing this song.  Not terribly often, but often enough.  It's a man's voice, doing a cover of "Angel of the Morning" and it has a kind of reggae sound to it.  I can't find that song.  Anybody know what I'm talking about? 

  Yesterday the boys and I had a pretty busy day.  I took them to Walmart and they did some shopping while I got my hair done.  It's GREAT that they are old enough to be allowed to do things like that while I wait.  Don't get me wrong, I made them check in with me every five minutes and they had to carry my cell phone so I could call them if I panicked.  (yes, I have been known to do that) But over all it was a successful trip. 

  They had this conversation with their dad in which they both said to him, "Mom REALLY needs chocolate that she can put in her emergency hiding place in her closet that we don't know anything about ..."

  r i g h t

  We made a stop by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory later in the afternoon and I picked up several weeks worth of truffles.  (okay, i got six truffles)  here you see champagne, kahlua, and jamaica me crazy rum ... yum.  just having chocolate in the house makes me feel better, more secure. 

  

  After we got home, my little angels had other things to do.  Elf kinds of things to do.  I was instructed to put up my feet and relax, in a completely different room.  So I did.  We are having a lot of fun this year.  Can you tell?

  

  I am very mindful that this season is difficult for many people.  It's a stressful time of year and by the time you've made a few circles around the sun, you've brushed at least once or twice against a tragic moment. 

  In Colorado Springs last week, we had a police officer shot to death during a routine traffic stop.  (I work in a building that's on "Mark Dabling Blvd" - named after another policeman killed in the line of duty 24 years ago.  That's how long Colorado Springs made it without losing an officer, but this year, we've lost two.  And it hurts.

  The boys and I had a long talk yesterday about forgiveness and about reacting to tragedy.  Tucker listened, asked questions, and offered his opinion about the proper place of forgiveness.  Then he said, "That's all well and good, but I know one thing.  If anybody ever hurt me, you would never forgive them."

  Well, yeah.

  My grandmother died at Christmas time five years ago.  We all still miss her and the thing that haunts me about her passing is the look on my mother's face when she said, "I'm not anyone's little girl anymore."

  This is a beautiful season, but also a season of great loneliness and sadness for many.  I hope you are not alone at this time of year.  I hope that you know that there is someone in the world who's thinking of you and hoping good things for you. 

  I hope you know that no matter what your life has been like over the past year, you are a beautiful, precious child worthy of love and joy.  Of all the gifts you may or may not receive this year, I hope the one you hold and keep close will be that knowledge of how wonderful a miracle your life is. 

  

  • 1:27 pm
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