Unexpected Christmas Present

The best present that one can receive is one from the heart. There are many people in my inner circle, who I live to pamper, friends and family alike. I know that they love me by the way they do little and unexpected things for me.

Yesterday, I got the surprise of my life. Nathan will be four in January. He is like most kids his age, affectionate toward his little stuffed animals, and mom and dad. Usually, when it is time for him to go home, his parents prompt him, saying, "give grandma a kiss" which he does. I'll say grandma loves you. He is our only grandson and the joy which he brings cannot be compared in any way as most grandparents tell you, they are special.


We put up two trees yesterday, and after putting up the one in the dining area, he decided that he liked grampy's better. Although it is bigger, it wasn't big enough for him. And, it didn't rotate, or have colored lights like mommy and daddy's tree. The one in the room that he spends most of his time in watching his movies has fiber optic lighting which is colored on the tips and changes color which he likes, especially the orange. Grandma likes the purple.


I took the sleeping Santa out of the box and set him up for Nathan to see. This is a big Santa who's belly rises and falls as he snores away, having boots on the side of his bed, and a calendar marked with a circled date, which is Christmas. He heard the sound and compared it to a truck backing up. Don't ask me...That's what he hears. As Santa snores it sounds like a whistle singing to the tune of jingle bells. Now that he's seen it, it will promptly go back in the box for another year.


I don't have to tell you how excited he is about all the Christmas festivities. We were hoping to take him to see the Clydesdale horses yesterday, but as the storm approached as the gales were coming through with the frigid cold weather, we decided to forgo that idea. He has a train that he puts together, built with blocks and runs manually, pushing it with no track, which he builds and rebuilds, (it's pretty funny looking at times). He spends a great deal of time ridding it around his room making choo choo sounds. Sometimes, he builds it backwards, and pushes it around that way. He is a master of sounds, especially airplane ones and trucks.


Lately he has been watching ice road truckers. He knows the mechanics of trucks and cars and motorcycles as those are his favorite DVD's. He was never the doll type. Yet he loves Betty Boop. You should hear him laugh, it warms you all over. What a sense of humor he has.


A typical boy of almost four, he displays a little "temper" at times. If he had his way, he'd have grandma cooking his favorite foods all day long. But when grandma says no, out comes the pout. In fact yesterday, I thought I heard him throw something at the wall. I am not a push over and so I let him know that grandma will not tolerate that kind of behaviour. "He said he was sorry." At times, he reminds me so much of his father, but the pout is definitely like his mother. Wanting to get his way is just like grandma.

I admit that I am very spoiled and loved, yet I didn't expect Nathan to say "I love you" without being told to. Nor did I expect the kiss on the cheek. It surprised me because it came from him and was sincere.

You can love someone in life and not expect to get any love in return. And, that's okay. But when love is returned or unexpected, it is the greatest of all presents. Knowing how much my grandson loves me is the best gift that I ever hope to receive from him, and I will never tire of it.

A Flame of Remembrance

Every now and then you read something and it holds so true. And, it brings understanding where there was none before.
This is the sight where you can reference this.

"AS YOUR HEART BEGINS TO SPEAK

May you heal many with your words and hands.
The treasure lies within, sleeping.
Love is alive and conquers all.
We trust our hearts and our inner knowings.
Love blossoms forth from forgiveness.
This is unconditional love which illuminates all.

The love of the feminine
the love of his life
she stood by his side
she saw him as no one else could
he saw her as no one else would
for the light of love is all there is
and this she was given to show him
and sustain him
for her love filled him with love as
manner from heaven
and her hands held him and softened the blows
and her light was needed to remind him of home.
The love of the feminine
The love of his life."

This is the sight: http://www.theheartoflove.com/

Where is Love?

Where is love, does it come from up above or is it underneath the willow tree that I've been dreaming of? A song my sister sang in high school. I know then, we didn't know where love came from, but wanted to know. Our handsome guy someday we would meet.
(Some people still look up instead of within for love). We learn that God is love. God's love is unconditional, and beyond our understanding. It has nothing to do with physical beauty or age or any of the silly soap opera versions of it. It just is...
Ruth was the only sister I had, she had a daring personality. When we were little, I was afraid of the dark. It was "tootsie" who would say to me, "shut up I'm tired, go back to sleep" but then would allow me to talk to her for a while. That's love. She and I wore the same outfits, hand me downs from the twins that lived next door, as we were the same size. What was mom thinking? She was the a dark haired, olive skin beauty, while I was a pale blue-eyed blond. We fought for authority, fist fights in the backyard, even though I was a little older. Neither of us won, and we popped each other real good. She seemed to be the first in everything as far as maturing. She was the first one married. I remember that my mother strictly forbade us to shave our legs. (Mom was extremely old-fashioned). This was not acceptable to my sister, who was as a teen-ager in high school at the time --riddled because the leg hair was extruding through her stockings. One day after school, while mom was at work, she talked me into shaving. As we sat on the bathtub, she confided that if I did it too, mom wouldn't be as mad. Or, perhaps we would both be in the doghouse. She was right. I tried not to antagonize my mom, while she got right in her face. When my son's used to fight, and argue all the time, I remembered that it is normal for kids to behave in that manner, and that they'd be good friends one day. I was right. After all, it was my sister that helped me through a lot of the toughest moments in life, like my divorce. She was understanding about so many other things. And, although she had her hands full raising a family she was always there.
Love is a lot things, a decision to care, to give, untiring devotion to someone, unfailing in sickness, just being there. If you look you will find it. Love is in the heart, that's where love is.