The Throne in Her Home

I have probably offended some who believe it is sacrilege to have scripture next to a toilet.
Knowing my friend, she'll share Christianity wherever she can get anyone to quietly sit.
She seems to find joy in all the parts of the circles in life, probably even in defecation;
The beginnings, the middles, the end products are all opportunities for celebration.

This is a woman who talks to her plants and feeds them homemade compost.
All who are loved by her are sure that they are certainly loved the most.
She's a teacher with a sense of personal joy whenever any student "gets" it.
Who'd have ever thought that her serenity and my seeking would be a good fit?

Her faith is like breadcrumbs left along her life's circuitous path;
She always seems quite sure that we'll finally "get" it, at last.
Who else would have thought to leave theology next to "the throne?"
This is one of the ever-joyful surprises in visiting her home.

Why Did "God" Make Me?

While at friend's house, I observed next to her guest room toilet, a compilation of quotes from the writings of C.S. Lewis. I have never been able to get into C.S. Lewis, as his writings always seemed to me so out of touch with the world of dirty diapers and other realities in which sexual, physical beings live. I didn't have a lot of time to peruse his words of monkish wisdom, but I absorbed an entry where he contended that we are made, not to love God, but for God to love us. This is in direct opposition to what I was taught as a pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic kid.

The Roman Catholic Baltimore Catechism that I had to memorize before I could receive "The Body of Christ" in Holy Communion, stated unequivocally, "God made me to show His goodness, for me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to make me happy with Him in the next." How can these two diametrically opposed viewpoints both be called Christian?

Can any two interpretations of our mission on earth be more different? We want to believe that all "others" are not our neighbors or our "brothers", and yet we don't take the time to really know each other.  Perhaps we should stop and ask people their meaning of their "God" before we assume we're in agreement (or disagreement). Or even better, watch them to see how they exemplify their special gift of being made in God's image and we'll see who they see as their God.

I became interested in the definition of the word theology after reading this and speaking with her husband who has taught classes in the subject. This led me to research the many names by which people of different times and faiths refer to "God." In Judeo-Christian theology alone, there are hundreds of sacred names for "God." The Koran has ninety-nine names for the same Abrahamic Divine Being as Judeo-Christians worship. It seems obvious to me that The Divine appears differently to different people at different times. What I look for in others is responsible compassion; then I feel like I am looking into the face of Divine Light.

My friend has said that it makes her sad that she and I don't share a same language for our beliefs. She and I share our commitment to responsible compassion in action. Isn't this enough to make us sisters in The Spirit?

After Christmas Crash

All the emotion stirred up by the condensed good-will of "The Holidays" is enough to make me crazy. I feel like there's an electric current constantly running through my heart and head, and no grounding of grandchildren to absorb the extra energy. Where does one put the love when there are no little ones to hold?

I thought that I had done so well this Christmas, limiting our gift giving to only those with whom we have an active relationship, and carefully spacing our events with downtime in between them. I felt good about seeing other families with starry-eyed children taking photos in front of the casino Christmas display. I was at peace with leaving our son's family gift on his stepmother's doorstep to be given to him and his family when he arrived at their family Christmas celebration. I vicariously enjoyed our daughter's family Christmas through facebook and phone calls. Richard and I are still in love. What could make for a better season of gratitude for our blessings?

It all came tumbling together during the day after. The friend I've had for longer than any other lost her next-door-neighbor to suicide by drug overdose on the day before Christmas Eve. His fiance lost her husband last April and is being put out of her home by her former step-daughter. My friend is a yoga instructor, which gives her a source of great inner peace, but the studio is closed for the holidays. We spent the morning comforting each other over a buffet breakfast. It is so nice to have somebody who has known our hearts since before we went to grade school.

On the way home from breakfast, I heard from my son's stepmother. She regaled me with what a wonderful Christmas her family had at her beautiful waterfront home, in front of her fireplace, with the many generations all together in celebration. I was thrilled for all of them and was salivating over her description of the Beef Wellington her oldest son had made. As an aside, she mentioned that my son's family gift from us was mistakenly given to somebody else. My visions of their surprise and joy when they were opening it were dashed.

The bulkhead began to crack in the car on the way to shop for tomatoes for Richard's sandwiches I fix him for lunch at his beloved PT boat. When Richard got home from the boat, I calmly explained the phone call from my son's stepmother, and my wonderful knight in shining armor simply went over to her house to retrieve the unwrapped gift. Meanwhile, I heard from my sister-in-law calling from Austria and a very good friend that I haven't seen in a couple of years who is coming to town in a week. My emotional boat had become overloaded and taking on too much water. I was quickly sinking. I had to bail out some of that ballast. By the time Richard returned, I simply couldn't stop sobbing.

Bless his compassionate heart, he re-wrapped and re-delivered the gift without a word about how unreasonable I was being. Love doesn't have a reason, and I wish people didn't save up so much for such a short, intense season.

My Perception of Positive Power

A friend once told me, when I bemoaned being an eternal child of god because I want to be an adult of god, that this is not something for which one wishes. I do wish that all of us would strive for that, as I'm tired of all eternal children of anyone. Children simply follow or subvert their leaders; adults struggle with leaders to become part of the leadership team. In a broken world, we often look for heroes to rescue us; in my vision of "the earth as it is in heaven", we seek to become parts of a heroic team.

I am often amazed that so many act as if their god is too delicate to handle a good sparring session with a fully formed adult. When I thought my daughter was going to die, leaving behind two girls of god that my daughter had been so carefully grooming to be women of god, I was furious with her god. What the Hell was "he" thinking?! Maybe I should have been born male and Jewish because it seems to me that the rabbis of the Jewish scriptures freely wrestle with their god. My daughter only seemed sad.

I have been very angry with The Higher Power more times than I can count. I figure the The Higher Power has bigger "shoulders" than any person I've ever known, and can take my doubt and disapproval better than can any of my earthly loved ones. The Almighty will never go away and take the suppressed anger out on others more vulnerable. At least, this is the image I have of my Almighty Energy.

Some find fault with my inability to limit my manifestation of "god" to that of a male. I also don't see The Almighty as female. I see The Almighty as encompassing all things, male, female, and inert matter. I see The Almighty as The Eternal Energy that we have the ability to affect the course of, but not the final outcome, of  eternity. I choose to believe that the more adult my acceptance of responsibility for direction of the other energies I encounter, the more positive effect I have on the course of Eternity.

I choose to believe that the final outcome will be positive power, and that each of us has the ability to affect how long the path to get there takes.

Christmas Love and Laughter

What a wonderful Christmas we had with a dearest and oldest friend.
His wife was out-of town, though her spirit she did send.
He had said he'd have Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant.
I decided to be Ghost of Christmas Past, and our friend to haunt.

We spent Christmas Eve in his lovely B&B by the beach;
A restful night seems to be had by all and each.
Coffee in the morning discussing this and that,
While we were entertained by antics of their cats.

Then off to the casino buffet, where cocktails were free;
If I had known this, I would not have ordered tea.
Our friend ended up eating Chinese from the buffet;
This led to discussing our favorite movie for Christmas Day.

Though I'd requested that we spend the evening with his train,
We decided to watch "A Christmas Story" once again.
It was so much better watching with Richard and our friend
The laughter in their shared memories, I wished would never end.

Shared laughter is the greatest blessing shared among us;
It seems to take a very deep level of mutual trust.
We share memories that open our hearts to our childhoods.
How could this not put all friends in a sacred mood?

Merry F---ing Christmas

Dear Yvette,
If you think it appropriate, please send to Gail and the others, with or without my attached note from last year.  This moved me deeply when it came around on your blog last Christmas.
Love and best wishes
The WI-GALBS

Dear Gayle,
Blessings on Bruce and all your family, from another military family who deeply appreciates his service, and all the others as well.
Best,
Mary Galbraith

---

Merry F---ing Christmas

From Bruce Nolan (the son of our group's Gayle) who was proudly serving our country while away from his own family on Christmas 2011 (He's safely home with his family now):

Tonight...
all across the world
in the mountains, deserts, plains, cities, and waters
of the Middle East,
in the Horn of Africa,
Northern Africa,
across Europe,
in remote outposts in the Pacific,
in the Caribbean,
across South America
even in the U.S. ...

Tonight, as Soldiers stand duty behind a machine gun,
Tonight, as Sailors stand watch on a bridge,
Tonight, as Airmen fly patrol in aircraft,
Tonight, as Marines ride in convoys,
Tonight, as Servicemembers, wherever we are,
one will turn to the other,
and say with all bitterness
Merry F---ing Christmas

Deep down,
we are thinking of our loved ones,
our friends,
our families,
those we don't even know,
that are home,
safe,
with friends,
in their house,
surrounded by comforts,
enjoying Holiday parties,
some will miss us dearly,
some only know who we are.
We miss them...
yet,
we also know that they can enjoy the comfort of home
because we are here.
Deployed, fighting, maintaining presence,
so that you can be home safe.
We are here, so you can be there.

And that makes us proud.
Proud to know that behind each of us,
is a country of grateful people,
who honor what we do.
Proud to know that behind each of us,
there is someone at home wishing we were there
but knowing we serve a higher purpose.
There may be those against us,
but there are so many more behind us.
Supporting,
grateful.
They they can enjoy where they are
because we are here.

So tonight,
I say to you all,
from the bottom of my heart,
Merry f---ing Christmas.
And I mean it.

Holiday Hangover

I don't know how many people do it, party heartily for days on end;
I seem to have a happiness hangover after only two days with good friends.
My godchild crooned at House of Blues, while family and friends celebrated;
Then on we went to a party whose cheer can't be on the joy scale rated.

There were people we hadn't seen since the last the world was set to end;
This was when we all got together to party into the new millennium.
Our hostess admitted when the world ends, whatever our chances,
She plans to go out as she and her lover/husband share dances.

The next day I spent with my oldest of friends and her aged father;
It is such fun to assist her as she is the perfect caretaker/daughter.
We sit at her mother's table and share childhood memories;
Her father, like a favorite uncle, I never miss a chance to tease.

Richard joined us and made a fine salad to accompany our cooking;
This certainly beats the buffet that, for Christmas, we are booking.
A great part of the holidays spirit for me is sharing the preparation
Leading up to the family and friends coming together for celebration.

Sharing in a loved one's tasks is the way that I make friends;
I am honored when those I admire feel that I have skills to lend.
Sacred Sunday I spend with my husband remembering how we're blessed;
His quiet demeanor is what I need because I'm overly blessed, I confess.

Tomorrow we get up and go again, to lunch with a favorite family;
Then on to a Mississippi Gulf Coast casino, Holiday on Ice to see.
We'll wake up Christmas morning, waddle through a casino buffet.
Playing in our friend's train room will wrap up our Christmas Day.

I love merry making for the Christmas season, but I will be happy
When the pace of life doesn't include constant shared hilarity.
While it is nice to create memories, I like time to process;
I can only save the memories with time between to rest.