Door to December 3rd
Dear Friends,
I mentioned in my Facebook virtual square that last weekend our eldest son came to us with questions about the Big Man Himself. This week has been a wonderful topsy-turvy execution of following through on a promise we made to that eldest child from before he was old enough to walk. We have embodied the Christmas Spirit year after year by making the gift of giving a fun opportunity to remind people that we love them and that it can be fun to surprise others by showing them that they are well thought of. The gifts are not the gift. The gift is the spirit of giving without expectation of something in return. The gift is helping others that need help. The gift is in spending time with people that you love.
We were able to navigate the hard part of the conversation with our eldest, but after that he shared with us what he thought, and it was evident to us that the promise we made to him by teaching him to give to others unconditionally is now part of his heart. The magic of Christmas continues on for him and I can think of no better advocate to teach others the lessons of giving than our beautiful boy.
Yes Atticus, there is a Santa Clause! And now you hold that promise in your heart and will forever touch that light upon others.
CPH
Open…
I BELIEVE IN SANTA CLAUS
As with so many things that add to the kismet I experience on the regular, here is another. Not soon after I had the conversation with my son about Santa, I heard the song below for the first time. The tears rolled down my cheeks and met the smile the slowly crept upward as Rob Thomas and Abby Anderson helped me to remember my promise to myself and my family to hold and cherish the spirit of Christmas in my heart. Christmas is not a noun in our house, it’s a verb.
“GIVING ‘TIL IT HURTS”
CONSUMER CULTURE MISREPRESENTS,
ALL THE SEASON’S SENTIMENTS.
NO OVERHEAD, THESE ONLINE STORES,
DELIVER QUICK TO UNWATCHED DOORS.
SAME DAY SERVICE,
CUTTING OUT ALL THE STORES.
MORE! MORE! MORE!
THE CRAZY DERANGED WHACKALOONS,
WAIT FOR EMAIL: COMING SOONS!
NO MIDDLE-MAN, BUT TWICE THE FUN.
FOUR FOR TWO, OR TWO FOR ONE.
COUPON CODES, SALES RECEIPTS,
INBOX SPAM, OR SPAMMY TWEETS.
LINING UP TO WAIT FOR “IT”,
JUST ADDING TO OUR PILE OF SHIT,
WITHOUT AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
THROW IT OUT NEXT DECEMBER.
THAT IS IF YOU DO REMEMBER,
CONSUMER CULTURE FEEDS INTO ITSELF.
I HAVE NO TROUBLE UNDERSTATING,
CHARGES KEEP ACCUMULATING,
INTEREST, HAND OVER FIST.
IF YOU FIND YOURSELF INCLINED,
GIVE TO OTHERS,
A GIFT OF TIME.
AND LEAVE THE PURSUIT OF MATERIALS,
TO THOSE SOLD EASILY,
TO THOSE SOLD EASILY,
TO THOSE SOLD EASILY,
ON EMPTY PURSUIT.
Visit me on Facebook here: Christopher Paul Hickey | Facebook
Check out a recent poem here: “O Toddler Tree, O Toddler Tree” – ProCrasstheNation
He is a beautiful boy. Not a surprise.