Kids and Christmas

The aspect of Christmas that I enjoyed most this year surprised me. I have eight wonderful nieces and nephews that range in age from 2 to 9. It's been fun to watch them tear into boxes over the years but this year was so enjoyable for me. Several of them received a gift that they were extremely excited about and the expressions on their faces and a Christmas twinkle in their eyes was almost magical this year.

It took several minutes for my nephew to pick his jaw up after the shock of receiving a much wished for air hockey table from a set of his godparents (my brother and sister-in-law). One niece was absolutely surprised to unwrap a sewing machine from my parents, my husband and me. Still others found enjoyment in a suitcase, a very anticipated American Girl doll and a new lamp for a redecorated room.

The magic of watching someone open a very special gift continued as my mother opened an American Girl doll given to her from her eight grandchildren. The Elizabeth doll, picked for the same name as my mom, is the first doll my mom has had since my family had a house fire in the late 1960s and she lost a china doll that she had as a child. She was completely surprised and the gift has so much meaning for her.

This Christmas I discovered that I must not be one of the kids anymore as my gifts were very nice but not what I most appreciated. Instead I loved the feelings that watching these youngsters (and even one adult) tear into their gifts evoked inside me.

The Merry Medical Tradition

It has come to my attention that I need to diversify my blogs somewhat. I've had many deep thoughts to share recently but it's time for a bit more light hearted fun.

One of my favorite Christmas traditions involves laughing at people oversharing medical information in their Christmas letters. We've all received Christmas letters with a story about Billy's baseball team or Sally's new braces but that's not what this is about.

Kathy and Judy, radio hosts on WGN in Chicago, read Christmas letters from people who include such words as puss, absess and anus as they send people holiday wishes. Listeners who receive these letters from friends and family send them to the station to be read during a Christmas show. As gross as it is, I can't help but laugh. Who are these people that think it is appropriate to share that in a Christmas letter?

As strange as it sounds, I would recommend listening. It is laced with Christmas music when the hosts get laughing too hard and it is hilarious. This year's "Merry Medical Christmas" will be shared throughout the show (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.) on Friday, December 23. You can listen online at www.wgnam.com. You can also visit the site for a better explanation of what the heck this little ritual is.

If nothing else, it makes you think twice before you write your next Christmas card.

Do we all know special people?

Do you ever think about all the people that you know? A friend of mine asked me a few weeks ago if I ever wondered if all people have contact with so many special people or if we were especially lucky.

We know a cancer survivor who is so dynamic you would never even know that she had battled that demon, an administrator that treated employees as family (like no one I've ever known), and we were blessed by the presence of a woman that always found the silver lining in bad situations. I try to think of her whenever someone aggravates me. The list of people goes on and on. My friend has a hypothesis that many of these people gravitate to the world of agriculture that we work in. I don't know why I have been blessed with so many special people in my life, but I'm quite thankful that I have.

I honestly have to say that I had not thought about that. I have had many people walk in and out of my life but I never pondered the many unique and truly wonderful people that I have come to know as acquaintances, friends, and soul mates.

I deeply hope that other people know many special people as well, but I still consider myself quite lucky for knowing every person I do and looking forward to meeting many more.

That finals feeling

I'm having a feeling of helplessness, or perhaps it is guilt, or maybe some loneliness. I really can't quite pin what it is but I know what is causing it.

My husband, a part-time MBA student, is drudging through end-of-semester projects, papers and studying for finals. He has basically been sequestered to our little office during the weekend and evenings since the middle part of last week.

Meanwhile, I have been cheerfully placing Christmas decorations around our house, adorning our Christmas tree, baking, folding laundry, exercising, watching TV, etc. It struck me on Wednesday evening when he came home from 2 hours in class only to go straight to the office for more studying that I felt bad for him (or maybe for me). I honestly don't know what time he stopped studying because I was dancing with the sand man long before he came to bed. I wish there was something more I could do for him, other than prepare meals and keep him supplied with clean underwear. I even asked him what else I could do. The harsh reality is that there is really nothing I can do.

I remember how busy I was during my undergrad career but watching someone else deal with that workload when you aren't is a very different vantage point. About this time last year, someone mentioned to me that when a spouse goes back to school and continues to work full time, the whole household goes back to school. I'm really starting to grasp this truth!

The great news is that after Thursday night when he turns in the final paper, he is free from books and studying until mid-January and hopefully I'll be free of whatever feeling it is that I'm having.

Sparkling like diamonds

As we returned home from Thanksgiving travel, my husband and I noted how barren the land surrounding our small town was. During the past couple of winters I have noted how depressing this flatter than a piece of paper landscape can look when the crops are removed. People use "the tree" as a land mark when giving others directions.

When I woke up last Thursday morning to a glistening dusting of white snow it was as if a complete transformation had happened overnight. This drab canvas had been painted with the signature of Illinois winter.

Thursday and Friday passed with driving complications and daily happenings. However, as I woke up Saturday morning, I was overcome with a warm, wintery, holiday feeling in my soul. Although I can't call it déjà vu, it was an excessively familiar feeling that was triggered by the bright, almost blinding, reflection of the snow into my bedroom window. This feeling was one I had many times during holiday preparations, winter snows and sledding growing up on the family farm. It translated into spending the day decorating our Christmas tree and putting up other decorations with the tones of Christmas classics humming from our stereo.

Flurries have continued to dust the area for the past few days and other than driving concerns, it is a welcome site. The barren ditches along the straight as arrows roads now sparkle and shine like diamonds. It mesmerizes my mind and I'm enjoying every feeling and memory that it evokes.