Mockingbird Hill Cottage

Mockingbird Hill Cottage

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On Celebrating Christmas

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Because I wasn’t needed at rehearsal yesterday, I got on the road toward home at about 10:30, made a couple of stops on the way, and arrived home around 2:00. Smooth sailing, dry roads, none of the traffic that would have caused long delays on the interstate if I had been unable to depart until the evening. I’m very thankful for my friend Robyn, who is the stage manager. She managed to pack my schedule for Wednesday and Thursday with one-on-one sessions and that allowed me to finish my first round with the actors and leave early on Friday. Thank you, Robyn.

Today is rainy and sleety and not at all pleasant. But I’m home. I had a lovely afternoon and evening with my husband yesterday. Today there is laundry to be done, presents to be wrapped while listening to Christmas music, pine-scented candles to be lit, newspapers to be read, and maybe a coffee cake to be made. We’re not sure yet. Do we want the sugar? The decision needs to be made soon, as I will have to run to the store for the ingredients.

By the way, if my posts aren’t updating on the computer, it’s probably due to a caching plugin that Bluehost put on my blog. Grrr! Just go to my site, reload the page, and the new post should load.

I’m going to take the next two days off as I celebrate a quiet Christmas with my husband. I have to leave early Monday morning to get back to Hartford for an afternoon rehearsal. I’m grateful for these days at home to celebrate and give thanks for all of our blessings.

I’m not a preacher (though my mom had a secret wish for me to either be a preacher or a preacher’s wife – sorry, Mom!), but I do have some thoughts on Christmas and its true meaning:

I hope your Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are filled with love and joy. I send a wish for peace to all of you and to our world. I hope that this next year will see a change for the better in our citizens; less hate and fear, more love.

Those who celebrate Christmas as the day of Jesus’ birth must surely, deep within their heart of hearts, know that Jesus was pure love, a man who reached out to those in need, who welcomed refugees (indeed, was one himself), who looked on everyone as his brother/sister and knew the simple truth: We are all One. No matter what faith or creed, what ethnicity, what country of origin, what color of skin, what sexuality  – We Are All One. Jesus would have been the first to speak out against the hatred and intolerance that fuels racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia and the “us against them” mentality that seems to be taking hold. He would have overturned the tables of the moneylenders and the rich who seek to profit at the expense of those who have less. He would have championed all those who work and fight for social equality and justice because that is what he knew to be right and of God. He would have reached out to the beggars and the lame and the sick and the lonely and the disenfranchised and those who were looked on as ‘other’ and he would have raised them up.

He knew Truth. And he always recognized those wolves who donned sheep’s clothing, who said one thing but did another.

So, as we celebrate his birth, what better way to honor him than to put into practice what he taught us? Otherwise, Christmas is just a hollow celebration, an excuse for gifts and tinsel and lights and all of the lovely hoopla of the holiday, with no substance at the core.

To you, my friends and readers, may you blessed this Christmas season and always. May those of you who have suffered loss be comforted. May those who are facing challenges be comforted and guided. May you give love and receive love. May you see all creatures as God’s creations. May you love and nurture your fellow man and all animals and plants and birds and bees and fish and the mountains and air and water and continents that make up our precious planet. They are gifts from God, all of them, that mustn’t be taken for granted or harmed or abused in any way.

End of my little sermon.

Merry Christmas from Don and me!

And Happy Saturday.

Comments

  1. Claudia, thank you once again for putting into words my thoughts about Christmas. Love and Peace are my wishes for this day and this upcoming year. Sending much love to you and Don. Wishing you Joy this day.

    Reply

  2. I’m so glad you were able to travel home early and have extra time to spend with Don at the cottage. Thank you for sharing so much of your life with us, your blog readers, each day. Wishing you a beautiful weekend of memories, love and peace. X Chy

    Reply

  6. Beautifully Expressed and I agree with you 100% .
    GOD bless you and your family this Christmas and in the coming New Year.

    and thank you for some very interesting posts throughout this past year too! : )

    Reply

  7. You would have been a damn wonderful preacher, Claudia. Most beautiful post ever – bar none. And that’s saying something. Lessons for us all too, no matter which side of the political spectrum we inhabit. Or what religion – if any – we practice. Normally at this time of year I get nostalgic about seeing the old year drift off. But I feel none of it this year. I’m glad – eager even – to see 2016 exit the scene & pray we never have another year like it – ever. And I know I’m not alone in that. Here’s hoping you & Don have the most wonderful quiet Christmas in your sweet cottage in the country. And have that coffee cake too – it’s Christmas!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Reply

    • I feel no nostalgia for the past year. I’m ready to move on and fight for what is right and good. Thank you, Janet.

      Merry Christmas, Janet!

      Reply

  9. Beautiful post, Claudia! So well written, as always. I know I don’t make myself known by commenting very often, but I’m here every day, reading your blog! I love it and look forward to it! Christmas blessings to you and Don!

    Reply

  10. Merry Christmas to you and Don. Glad you had a safe and easy trip home, and hope the trip on Monday will be the same. I vote “YES” on the coffee cake. Life is brief, and on one of the most special occasions of the year, we need to celebrate in every way we can. Coffee cake is not an extravagance on Christmas!!

    Have a beautiful 2 days home w/ Don!! 🎄

    Reply

  12. Merry Christmas to you & Don. My family arrives at 3:00 to celebrate Christmas Eve together. I’m showered and sat down for a minute to catch my breath. It was grey and drizzly out . As I read your post, the sun broke through and filled the room with light. The perfect atmosphere to read today’s fine message from you. Go for the coffee cake and enjoy every morsel.

    Reply

  13. Beautiful post Claudia. May you and Don have an enjoyable time in your wonderful cottage surrounded by the things you both love. Merry Christmas and thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. God Bless you both!

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  14. That was beautiful. Blessings to you and your hubby. Thank you for including us in your life. Merry Christmas!!! xoxo

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  17. Very well said! Amen! It is what a lot of people are feeling this Christmas. Merry Christmas to everyone! Enjoy your coffee cake, Christmas comes just once a year!

    Janet

    Reply

  22. Claudia…Merry Christmas…to one of my favorite bloggers!…You don’t know, how much I look forward to your blog everyday!…Thank-you Claudia, for being you!

    Reply

  23. Merriest Christmas ever to you Claudia & hubby.
    Praying for peace in the world & random acts of kindness …a new favorite hobby for all of us.
    May God bless you.

    Reply

  25. agree. thanks for another beautiful post. (hope you write a book someday.)

    better things are ahead. God is with us. we just need to know that, trust that (Him) and build on the good things in this world. they’re out there. may we look for and share them.

    merry Christmas and here’s to a brighter, better always for everyone!

    kathy in iowa

    Reply

  26. Amen. I agree 100 percent!
    Merry Christmas Claudia and Don!
    And thank you for your lovely blog which is truly a gift everyday.

    Reply

  29. Amen, Claudia, Amen. Jesus was indeed, love at its best. There is nothing in his teachings to support the sad behavior we have seen and see. Surely he would weep, if he walked this world today. From the PNW, late this Christmas night, I send love and the wish for peace to all. xo

    Reply

  30. Beautiful photo of your cottage Claudia.
    I just realized I didn’t get any updates from your blog in my blogfeed so I looked up your blog in the list, but it said ‘You have followed this URL, but we couldn’t find a feed for it. ‘ Obviously I did find your blog alive and well. I don’t know if this has anything to do with what you were talking about, but I’ll try and find out. It has been suspiciously quiet on my blogfeed, so it may be a blogger glitch.

    Reply

    • I think that’s a Blogger glitch. My sister has a Blogger blog and my site wasn’t renewing for a while (it’s on WordPress) but now it’s up-to-date. I’ve read that a lot of bloggers were having trouble with their blog lists.

      The thing I referred to just happened this week and it’s been resolved, Josje!

      Reply

  31. Belated Merry Christmas to you, Don and all the family……many heartfelt thanks to you for this beautiful post with all it’s truths and the the comfort that comes when we remember them……that is not always easy to accomplish when faced with the ugliness spewed out by those with loud voices…….was a lovely day for you and Don and the picture of the cottage does make it appear to be a lovely island of joy, peace and
    happiness !…..Best wishes from Dianne

    Reply
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