An Open Letter to my family

I know today should be my book review day but since I keep reading the same authors - there really isn't much to report. I have decided that I need to get some major Christmas Spirit in my life and report some things that have been suggested to me. Unfortunately that probably won't happen in this blog.

I have a young friend that is just out of medical school. He is an Orthopedic surgeon for the Navy. I was hobbling quite badly Sunday and while he ate lunch - I spilled my history of the last 3 years. He told me to tell my daughters and anyone else that would listen to start taking glucosamine and chondroitin. This recommendation is so you won't get arthritis and you will keep your knees strong and healthy. I told him I have had arthritis in my hands since I was in my 20's. He said that then you should especially start taking it because it is important for strong joint health. Whatever your body does not need - it will flush it away. There are several fairly inexpensive kinds on the market and you only need to take the minimum dosage right now.

It occurred to me that I probably spent 4 or 5 Christmases at my grandparents home in all of my growing up years. We always lived so far away that to have Christmas with anyone but ourselves was out of the question. I think that is why we always made such a big deal about Advent and St. Nicholas along with baking cookies and having hordes of people over to help decorate the tree - because unbeknownst to me at the time, Mom was wishing she was home for the holidays. It wasn't until we were in Heidelberg that Mom was no longer lonesome at Christmas - I was 17 years old and getting ready to graduate from High School. My mother loved to do parties and have huge crowds over - no matter how small our apartment was. Sometimes those parties would literally put her in the hospital afterwards, but she needed the socialization, especially during the holidays. I think now more out of habit and from her example, I think that the holidays have to be over the top.

This year has been hard for me. I didn't get a book done. I usually do the book in January -March. But this year I was strapped to that brace and couldn't get under the computer for several hours a day. Plus Clyde had definate ideas about what he wanted and has been too busy to help much. So it never happened. So for the first time in 12 years there is no book. I probably could have hustled and done something earlier this fall but I never could get into the spirit to ever make the attempt. I just haven't cared. I have a 1 foot tree decorated and a new nativity I bought with the money from my father for my Christmas, as the only decorations in the apartment. I do have my Christmas clothes out - but that is all. I am tired of being so far away from my grandchildren. The problem is it will be longer before I am close to any of them and even then I will have to settle for just a few of them. We will never all be together in the same area. That makes me sad but it is how our life is. At least sometime in the not too distant future - we just might have a house large enough where the family can gather for Christmas. I look forward to that day with joy.

Enough rambling and enough of my pity party for today. I love my family more than anything. I am so blessed to have the amazing family that I do have. It would make life so much easier if we didn't like each other and didn't want to be close to each other. Fortunately we do love each other and cherish each minute we do have together - no matter how few they are.

Things I am thankful for: Christmas movies, music and holiday specials.