New Civilization News: The Rush Before Christmas    
 The Rush Before Christmas9 comments
17 Dec 2002 @ 19:27, by Craig Lang

Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the town,
Not an auto was moving, I saw gridlock abound.

The parking lot full of both new cars and old
The snow was not here yet, but only the cold

With prices reduced, on gifts all around
The economy hopefully soon would rebound

I with my MasterCard, and Visa and Cash
Had bought my last package, completing my stash

Toting my purchases out to the lot
I wondered a year from now what would mean what

Would we be locked in a war with Iraq
Or would peace prevail, with prayer and with luck

As I turned the key, and started my car,
I felt that the cheer of Christmas was far

Yet as the car started, the engine to purr
I felt a sense of warmth start to stir

The feeling that God watches over us all
And living within us, answers our call

It made me feel better, as I drove in my car
This season is time to enjoy who we are

I arrived at my home, my family to greet
I saw decorations, ribbons and wreaths

And looking, I saw the family room filled
With holiday ornaments, stacked to the hilt,

As I continued to take off my coat
A tear of joy rose, and a frog in my throat

I thanked our dear God for this time and place
The best of the season, to this blue dot in space.



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9 comments

18 Dec 2002 @ 08:13 by tinajoy : Bravo!
very seasonal..thank you. merry christmas to you and yours. xxx  


18 Dec 2002 @ 08:20 by spiritseek : MERRY CHRISTMAS
Craig have good cheer we are about to see many changes, love will prevail.  


18 Dec 2002 @ 09:14 by martha : I believe
Nice poem craig. My aunt sent me this today and I thought this is the spot to post it.


>ATTITUDE
> She is 92 years old, petite, well poised, and proud. She is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed, and her makeup perfectly applied, in spite of the fact she is legally blind. Today she has moved to a nursing home. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making this move necessary.
> After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, where I am employed, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet curtains that had been hung on her window.
> "I love it!" she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.
> "Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room.... Just wait", I said.
> Then she spoke these words that I will never forget:
> "That does not have anything to do with it", she gently replied.
>"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time." Whether I like my room or not, does not depend on how the furniture is arranged. It is how I arrange my mind. I have already decided to love it. It is a decision I make
>every morning when I wake up. I have a choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or I can get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do work.
>Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I will focus on the new day and all of the happy memories I have stored away ... just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you have already put in
>
> I believe -- that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for whom we become.
> I believe -- that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
> I believe -- that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, it doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
> I believe -- that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. The same applies to true love.
> I believe -- that it's taken me a long time to become the person I want to be.
> I believe -- that each time you part from loved ones do so with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
> I believe -- that you can keep going, long after you can't.
> I believe -- that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
> I believe -- that either you control your attitude or it controls you.
> I believe -- that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
> I believe -- that money is a lousy way of keeping score.
> I believe -- that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
> I believe -- that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.
> I believe -- that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
> I believe -- that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them, and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
> I believe -- that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
> I believe --that no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.
> I believe -- that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
> I believe -- that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
> I believe --that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different. Neither one needs to be wrong; they just have different ways of seeing things.
> I believe -- that people who don't even know you can change your life in a matter of hours.
> I believe -- that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.
> I believe -- that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
> I believe -- that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon."  



18 Dec 2002 @ 09:31 by craiglang : And when..
those who you care about most are taken from you, you can respond by caring deeply for still others...

CL 12/19/02 Note:
It doesn't make it any less painful when someone is taken from you. But it can help you heal quicker. My heart goes out to anyone going through such an experience.  



18 Dec 2002 @ 09:32 by craiglang : Thanks Martha
for a really beautiful comment and composition  


18 Dec 2002 @ 09:44 by martha : yes that is the paradox
the great paradox of love is the deeper you feel it, the deeper you can feel the Loss. The real lesson is love transends loss which is an illusion. glad you enjoyed my aunts email. She is just coming off nearly a year of mourning my uncle's passing and a wonderful marriage. It felt so good to receive the above from her today.
martha@whereisthetissueswan?.com  



18 Dec 2002 @ 16:46 by swan : Here is a tissue, Martha
Lets just celebrate the season of LOVE all year round.


CL Note: Great thought, Katelyn. Thank you for the comment.  



19 Dec 2002 @ 00:34 by shawa : Thanks for everything!...:-)
Craig - This year the family here had the same thought : oh let´s have a ball, maybe it´s humanity´s last X-mas!... Not a very joyful thought to have, especially around Christmas. But it certainly makes us appreciate more the Festival of the Light and all the bounty of family love!... (((A warm hug to all, too))) And a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS...


=======================================

CL Note: Wow! Interesting take, Shakti. I didn't mean for it to have an apocalyptic tone to it. What I was trying to say was that we only get one Xmas a year, and so we need to live now. Interesting take on the words though.

Actually I changed the wording. I think it's important to stay positive here.... 8^)  



19 Dec 2002 @ 17:02 by sharie : And when...
"When those who you care about most are taken from you, you can respond by caring deeply for still others."

I need that.

Thank you.  



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