These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Recently, as you may know, Oprah gave away her "Favorite Things" on television. The show, (which I watched because I was running on the treadmill at the gym, mind you, not because I would ever turn on the television before 5 pm at home) was as filled with screaming, crying and excess as the Saturday Night Live parody of it. I do like Oprah, in spite of all that. And I like some of her things, too. (Forget Obama-- Oprah for president.)

Then yesterday, I was reading Family Fun magazine at the orthodontist's office. In addition to all sorts of ideas for cute crafts, there were some touching columns about different things people have done to help make the holidays meaningful as well as plentiful. One that struck me as really beautiful was a story about a couple who had very little the first year they were married, so instead of over-extending their shoestring budget and buying each other new things, they wrapped things for themselves that they already had.

Now I know at first this sounds incredibly sad, which was my first thought. But what they did on Christmas morning was sit under the twinkling tree and reflect on how thankful they were for the gift of each other, and the things that meant a lot to them, like the first present or card he ever gave her, or a little token that reminded them of something special or something important in their lives.

The family still carries on the tradition. Each year, among the new gifts are a few meaningful things, such as a cherished toy that has been in storage, a guitar with a broken string that has been repaired, or a special blankie with a new name tag sewn in. Thinking about these old gifts again puts them in a thankful state of mind, which is often hard to achieve this time of year. It reminds them of the things that are truly special to them and to their family members, and to cherish those things and those people. One year, one of the parents had their two kids hide in big wrapped boxes as the other one came home.

A couple of things I thought of that are small but special to me:

Every time I see the giraffe's face (picture up top), I smile. It's not really a gift. The keychain was loaned to me with a house key on it. Last summer (seems like forever ago) my mother was in the hospital for almost a month in total, for a quadruple bypass. It wasn't until months later, when I knew my mom was safe and sound again, that I realized how stressful that time was, and how scared I was. My friends Ann and Enza let me stay at their house while I was helping out and visiting her at the hospital, giving me a vital oasis of calm and quiet to retreat to each night. Now they've moved, and I still have the keychain. And I'm still thankful for them and their generosity and support.

Speaking of keychains, I am never without the small black Swiss-Army knife keychain that my mother gave me years and years ago. I still have the tweezers, but the toothpick is long gone. (Who would use that in their teeth anyway? Gross.) It's totally worn and smooth, and the logo is completely gone. I use the screwdriver, the knife, the scissors and the nail file all the time. It's like a tiny emergency tool kit for just about anything. I feel capable when I have my little knife. Sort of like Mike feels when he has his Leatherman tool, I suppose, just on a smaller scale.

I have to take a break now, but as I go about my day and my week, I'm going to keep my eyes and my heart open to the good things in my life. I kinda feel like making some cookies, too. Maybe I'm getting a little Christmas spirit after all.