The End of the world is Nigh. Not again!

 The world has threatened its own ending several times already in my life.

 

I was born somewhere near the Cuban Missile crisis, I remember gradeschool movies about what to do when they drop the bomb, which always seemed so abolutely futile in the face of global nuclear destruction.  I even remember being warned about scary killer bees, coming to get us, from a rather early age.

So perhaps you’ll forgive me if I am a bit skeptical of this latest doom and gloom attitude that seems so prevalent of late.

 

A second ice age, volcanoes. global warming, or continental drift,

 that’s even when you don’t count the really crazy stuff like

 Alien invasions and the Zombie apocalypse.

…nor the more likely options like car accidents, illness,

and the great equalizer: time.

Whatever our untimely, or timely end, I want to breathe deep of what is here and now.

I want to give thanks and express my gratitude for those people that I love, and who have shown me love, or kindness, or even how to be human.

So, with the end of the world coming and all, I thought I would send out my Christmas messages early, because I would hate to have it all end, without having told my friends and family how much I truly love them.

 

I decided I want to write a seperate note for each person I know.

This way I can tailor my notes to say in what way I have been inspired by them.

I want to tell each person what is unique and special about them.

All those things for which they don't get nearly enough appreciation.

 

So I start listing everyone: Mom, Dad, siblings, friends, coworkers.

I jot down feable notes as I go down the list, typing out a sentance or two to describe my kin, the ones I have known all my life.

 

This is harder than it sounds, once you sit down to write it.

 

I go back up to the top to start writing Dad's note,

" To me you have always been a bit of a hero. Not just because you're my Dad, but also because I respect you. You are honest and highly intelligent, and have a great sense of humor." Just as I am pondering how inadequately this describes him, a really great customer's name pops into my head and I have to go back down to the bottom of the list to add another name, and another.

Soon I have been writing for over an hour.

 

I notice some patterns emerging.
"Thank you ..."appears alot.  So do variations upon "Your faith has inspired me,"

as well as "impressed by your strength and intelligence." and "sweet and kind and gentle,". 

How lucky I am to know such fine people!

I found I wanted to say to anyone younger (and that populaton keeps growing!) something like: "I still look forward to seeing what you make of your portion of this amazing thing called life."

 Of course there are some people who just stump me. I can't express how much I appreciate, love - there are no words. Or they seem sappy. My heart is bigger than my keyboard.

Then I lean back a bit and review it all again.  It's mostly just a list.

 

I start laughing.

 I have barely written anything at all.

But it was worth the time; thinking of all these amazing people...loving them for who and what they are. My mentors, my family, my best friends in life, thinking of the way they talk or listen, or smile, and feeling how it swells my heart  and enlarges my life simply to think of them!

 

Thank you ALL once again for reminding me to be grateful for my good fortune. You give me hope.

 

Whatever holiday you do (or do not) celebrate during this time of year:

 Happy (it).

Or better yet: Grateful it.

 

From my heart (and not intended to be offensive)

I wish you a very Grateful Christmas.

Chelsea Lindner
manager Artists' Mediums Inc.