Blue Tongues and Mistletoe

See this kid? He’s having fun. Are you?

It’s the holidays, Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Years, etc. It's a time for family get-togethers, kids on vacation, Christmas shopping, getting blitzed, making out with the secretary, sitting on the copier at work and… etc, etc.
Once we get swept up in the “holiday spirit”, it can be easy to forget that the holidays can exert a lot of pressure. Whether everything is great in your world or not, BE KIND TO YOURSELF. Give yourself the gift that doesn’t stop giving. BE NICE TO YOURSELF.

I know that I’m under pressure because last night I had a dream that my grandmother was still alive. Yeah, the holidays are also about not having those loved ones around you. Whether by death, distance, disagreement, divergent paths, etc, Christmas in your 30’s, 40’s and 60’s aint gonna be quite the same as when you were a little snot nosed punk and everyone you knew and loved were still alive.

In the dream with my grandma I followed her thorugh a department store as she ran up the stairs, dashed through employee areas, and jumped down staircases and streaked about looking for bargains.

My grandmother was old, old, old school. Raised during the depression, she always went to every “white sale” and presidents day sale, and the day after thanksgiving sale. She always kept a closet full of extra blankets, sheets, pillowcases, curtains, t-shirts… when we came by looking for provisions, she would say, "you must think this is your personal storehouse! Why do you think i have what you want?" and you know what? she always did!

I miss her. I love her still, and I’m so thankful that she still visits me from time to time. When I wake up from a dream she was in, I always reflect on my life and what I'm doing well, and what needs to be improved upon.

I mostly remember how incredible she was, and her tireless, selfless sacrifice… but I also remember how she went out.
She died many years before she actually died, her mind robbed of its power and usefulness by dementia. It was hard to watch as she receded back into a shell of her former self.

During those last years when I did visit, It became increasingly difficult to rouse her from her appointed rounds, floating about between worlds. The last few times I was able to awaken that light within, she looked at me startled. Her breathing increased and she wore an expression of someone that had been jerked unexpectedly from something peaceful, or at least non-disturbing, back into the realization that she was still alive and trapped within something she no longer had the power to understand….

I certainly hope that these last few days of the year that we are all able to exhibit some Dickensesque compassion, and take those few extra moments to check in with family members, co-workers and even complete strangers on the street and wish them peace, love, happiness and see if they’re doing o.k., especially if you know that they may not have chestnuts roasting back on the home front.

And if you aint got nobody and you’re all alone, Go eat something that will dye your tongue blue and take a picture of it.