Fabulous Christmas!

I had an absolutely beautiful Christmas!

I hope yours was every bit as fabulous!

















This is Carly on the left, my great niece, and Kimberly and Jasmine, my two granddaughters. Beauties of their own, whom I hope will all grow up to be super fabulous! Right now they are still very innocent, and that is beautiful in and of itself. The world has not yet had a chance to spoil that innocence, with the cruelties of a sometimes unkind reality. I pray they will always know Love... and Joy... and Peace in their lives.

















And this is the one who really is fabulous! She is my mother. To many, she is just Nana, and she's a jewel of a beauty! For Christmas, she painstakingly spent months sewing lap quilts for every single member of our family... and then some! Each child (3 of us) each grandchild (6 of them) each great-grandchild (12 of them). In addition, she sewed one for each in-law, girlfriend or boyfriend (5 of them). Then she made one for my 1st cousin who has no one but us, these days, for his family, so that's (1). She also made two for the VA Hospital (2). I believe she also made a couple more, here and there, for friends and family but already that's 29! She is that way, full of good old fashioned home made love.

It was important for my mother to make one for each of us, and I think she is afraid this will be her last Christmas. But I'm not believin' it! I think the Love was apparent, this year, more than ever... everyone was happy and cheerful, no matter what their circumstance, and there are some less than happy ones, across the board. It's been a tough year for my family, in more ways than one. But, everyone "gave" of themselves, no matter how little they had to give, if only from the Heart... and the Heart says more than anything that money could ever buy.

I know that I'm fortunate to have a mother like this one. I know so, because there are many who have no mother's at all... and many who have mother's, and yet they are not able to experience the level of Joy and Love that my family has enjoyed, all these years, with this Mama and Nana. I actually know someone who is just waiting for her mother to die because, for whatever reason, there is no joy between them, no apparent love... only bitterness, anger, and emptiness... or just plain old nothingness, beyond a burdensome duty. It makes me sad just to think of it. And awakens me to the reminder of my own fortune, in having a mother such as my own.

I pray that anyone reading these pages has had the special pleasure of having a mom like mine. And if you have one and, yet, experience some form of bitterness and pain, I pray that you will be able to find forgiveness and that your hearts will be opened in such a way that you know what it is to have a true mother.

It is on this day that we celebrate when Love came down to Earth. I wish it for you all!