A Christmas Letter
This morning I was reading my favorite book, Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort & Joy, and the topic of the day was Christmas Letters. I was reminded of an old boyfriend, Derryl, who's parents were kind enough to include me in an old family tradition of sending an annual letter to their friends each Christmas. Being a military family, they moved around a lot and made friends around the world. This was their way of keeping in touch and sharing things that had transpired throughout the year.
I enjoyed being a part of the Christmas letter that mentioned Derryl and I as an "item". Sadly, we broke up before we could spend a second Christmas together. The next Christmas letter didn't seem quite as wonderful when I read that Derryl had married another woman named Pat with a daughter named Lindsey (my daughter's name). What are the odds of that?
Anyway, that was another lifetime ago, and in the spirit of that wonderful tradition, here's my version of A Christmas Letter for 2004:
Dear All,
It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Is it just me, or does time seem to by passing much more quickly as we get older? Seventy degree weather in December in Richmond doesn't help remind me of Christmas, but holiday traffic and long lines at the checkout counter certainly do. I haven't heard as much Christmas music on the radio this year, and decorations seem more subdued, but in my heart I know there is much to celebrate this year. First and foremost, I am thankful for the most precious gift of all... the gift of Jesus and the ability to call him my Saviour.
A lot has happened this year... It's been a year of wonderful of news... new friends, new business opportunities, a new school for Lindsey which has made all the difference, and a new church, including a new Knitting Ministry which I started there. It's also be a year of renews... a renewed commitment to an intimate relationship with Christ, a renewed passion for knitting, a renewed appreciation for my family, both immediate and extended, and a renewed attitude of gratitude for things I often take for granted.
Sadly, we lost my Aunt Alice suddenly in August. We will miss her beauty, her grace, and her quiet but strong presence. She was the "clothes horse" of the family, and I was honored to receive several of her beautiful outfits which I will proudly wear in her honor. As sad as Aunt Alice's death was, God saw fit to bless us in our time of grief in a very special way... again. Unbeknown to us at the time, a baby boy was born exactly one week before Aunt Alice died. Less than 3 months later, that beautiful little boy was adopted by Aunt Alice's only child and her husband. Our times together are now filled not only with tears of sadness, but tears of joy as well. This is the 3rd time that God has blessed our family in this way. The day I brought my adopted daughter home, my only sibling was murdered. He never had a chance to see his niece and most of my family met my daughter for the very first time at my brother's funeral. Then, two years ago, a cousin who had been like a brother to my brother was killed in a horrific car accident. Within a month, another cousin and his wife gave birth to a beautiful son who is quite the star.
Then there were several months that I lived with the fear of breast cancer, but miraculously things turned out fine. My father was thought to have prostate cancer, but he's fine too. My mom got re-married (obviously, my parents are divorced) and another cousin's husband got an 11th hour reprieve from deployment to Iraq.
All in all, it's been a great year. Our family has a lot to be thankful for. Of course, it hasn't been perfect and we've all had our share of disappointments, but how can we know to appreciate the sunshine without the rain?
Now, as we look forward to another new year, it's time to start thinking about priorities and goals for 2005. I've decided this year to keep that list short and focused. With God's help, 2005 will be my personal best year yet. More to come on that one soon!
In closing, I hope your year was safe, productive and happy. I pray that you have been able to weather your disappointments and your triumphs with equal grace and gratitude, and that you have become a wiser person because of them. For the coming year, I wish you all the love, happiness and peace that your heart and soul can handle.
God bless,
Pat
I enjoyed being a part of the Christmas letter that mentioned Derryl and I as an "item". Sadly, we broke up before we could spend a second Christmas together. The next Christmas letter didn't seem quite as wonderful when I read that Derryl had married another woman named Pat with a daughter named Lindsey (my daughter's name). What are the odds of that?
Anyway, that was another lifetime ago, and in the spirit of that wonderful tradition, here's my version of A Christmas Letter for 2004:
Dear All,
It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Is it just me, or does time seem to by passing much more quickly as we get older? Seventy degree weather in December in Richmond doesn't help remind me of Christmas, but holiday traffic and long lines at the checkout counter certainly do. I haven't heard as much Christmas music on the radio this year, and decorations seem more subdued, but in my heart I know there is much to celebrate this year. First and foremost, I am thankful for the most precious gift of all... the gift of Jesus and the ability to call him my Saviour.
A lot has happened this year... It's been a year of wonderful of news... new friends, new business opportunities, a new school for Lindsey which has made all the difference, and a new church, including a new Knitting Ministry which I started there. It's also be a year of renews... a renewed commitment to an intimate relationship with Christ, a renewed passion for knitting, a renewed appreciation for my family, both immediate and extended, and a renewed attitude of gratitude for things I often take for granted.
Sadly, we lost my Aunt Alice suddenly in August. We will miss her beauty, her grace, and her quiet but strong presence. She was the "clothes horse" of the family, and I was honored to receive several of her beautiful outfits which I will proudly wear in her honor. As sad as Aunt Alice's death was, God saw fit to bless us in our time of grief in a very special way... again. Unbeknown to us at the time, a baby boy was born exactly one week before Aunt Alice died. Less than 3 months later, that beautiful little boy was adopted by Aunt Alice's only child and her husband. Our times together are now filled not only with tears of sadness, but tears of joy as well. This is the 3rd time that God has blessed our family in this way. The day I brought my adopted daughter home, my only sibling was murdered. He never had a chance to see his niece and most of my family met my daughter for the very first time at my brother's funeral. Then, two years ago, a cousin who had been like a brother to my brother was killed in a horrific car accident. Within a month, another cousin and his wife gave birth to a beautiful son who is quite the star.
Then there were several months that I lived with the fear of breast cancer, but miraculously things turned out fine. My father was thought to have prostate cancer, but he's fine too. My mom got re-married (obviously, my parents are divorced) and another cousin's husband got an 11th hour reprieve from deployment to Iraq.
All in all, it's been a great year. Our family has a lot to be thankful for. Of course, it hasn't been perfect and we've all had our share of disappointments, but how can we know to appreciate the sunshine without the rain?
Now, as we look forward to another new year, it's time to start thinking about priorities and goals for 2005. I've decided this year to keep that list short and focused. With God's help, 2005 will be my personal best year yet. More to come on that one soon!
In closing, I hope your year was safe, productive and happy. I pray that you have been able to weather your disappointments and your triumphs with equal grace and gratitude, and that you have become a wiser person because of them. For the coming year, I wish you all the love, happiness and peace that your heart and soul can handle.
God bless,
Pat
posted by Syd at
10:25 AM
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