Merry Christmas to all; and to all a good night...

And a very happy new year!

It has reached that moment.

Mrs. Claws has just handed me a list of things to be done before the "Big Holiday" and I am going to be very busy for the next few days.

I just want to thank everyone who has made my blogging experience such a joyful one.

Merry Christmas

to all my new friends!

I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams...

"God rest ye merry gentlemen..."

Tonight a special thing happened to me. As I played with the wheel of blogs I clicked on a link and found myself visiting the site of a soldier in Bagdad. It was the first such blog I’ve ever encountered. His posts were warm, funny and filled with kindness.

It brought the reality of a good soul being stuck in the war in Iraq at Christmas time home to me in a very big way.

As I read through his blog I couldn’t help but notice how empty his comment stocking was. It made me sad.

So yeah, by now we all know the drill...

I’m betting there is a soldier in Iraq who’d sure be surprised if his blog lit up like a Christmas tree from some folks back home in the U.S.A. that he never expected to hear from. So, as of this moment operation "Desert Swarm" is now under way.

Let’s give a G.I. as much Christmas cheer as we can possibly muster. Greenery in Bagdad is the soldier’s blog. Go visit, and wish him and his buddy Cliff a very Merry Christmas.

It is the least we can do...

The only meme I'll ever do!

"Don't make me kill the elf."

I don't know, I'm just not much of a fan of the meme. I'm only doing this one because my good friend asara dragoness tagged me.

I would also be remiss here if I did not offer a hearty congratulations on her recent Best Blog Of The Day Award.

Way to go, girl! You always make me smile with your bubbly personality.

My favorite Christmas Songs

1. John Lennon - So This Is Christmas
2. Simon and Garfunkel - Silent Night
3. Jackson Browne - The Rebel Jesus
4. Emerson Lake and Palmer - I Believe in Father Christmas
5. Vince Vance and The Valiants - All I Want For Christmas Is You

My gift is my song girl, and this one's for you.

Behold, the story of a lotus flower.

One of my favorite symbols of spiritual growth has always been the Lotus plant. I first came across the story of the Lotus in my studies of eastern religions. Although the flower itself is truly remarkable this is not the aspect of the plant which I find so fascinating. Rather, it is the story of how the plant produces the blossom that captures my attention.

In India, the Ganges River is not just a symbol of a religious belief system. The river itself is considered to be a goddess. Her waters have been the heart of India’s spiritual life for countless centuries. People have come to the Ganges to wash, to cleanse the soul, for renewal, to be anointed, and at the end of life to be cremated and consecrated to her depths. Having your ashes flowed over by the Ganges completes the earthly journey and returns you home.

The Ganges River covers a substantial area and touches the lives of countless villages and communities. Along it’s journey it collects a lot of the refuge of daily life and the remains of many people going home. Yes, all manner of awful crap sinks to the bottom of the Ganges River. Hence, the river bottom is a centuries old collection of sludge. Some would go as far as to say it is one deep nasty pit of excrement.

And this is where the seed of the Lotus plant begins its story. Its journey begins by falling through the murky waters of the Ganges River and landing smack dab in a heaping trough of stinking poop.

Welcome to the world little fellow.

Having no choice in the matter the small seed puts forth roots and begins its growth back up through the crap towards the warm and nurturing light of the sun. Straight as an arrow the stalk of the lotus plant heads for the surface of the Ganges. It does not matter if the distance it must travel is ten, fifteen or even twenty feet. Straight and true, it grows towards the light.

Eventually, the tip of the stalk pierces the surface of the water and only then does the blossom of the Lotus opens its petals and reveals its inner beauty to the sky. This moment of standing revealed in the light of the sun is worth every moment of the journey both into and then out of the river of crap.

Sometimes the Internet reminds me of the Ganges River. Man, there is a lot of poop floating around in there. Some of it is really nasty and stinky too. It’s certainly not something I’d like to feel squishing around between my toes if you know what I mean. But there’s also some radiant Lotus flowers floating in the murky waters and one of the most lovely I’ve found goes by the name of, whimsical.

When her seed fell into the metaphorical waters of the Ganges River of life, she literally fell, as in from the top story of a burning building. She bounced a couple of times and landed hard in a great-big-heaping-pile-of-hot-steaming-poop.

The next time you find yourself thinking how tough you’ve got it and how hard it is trying to hang on to your sanity; go and peruse the archives of her story. Then take another look at whatever situation you find yourself in and count your blessings. I love her story. It is a real life lesson of courage and heart. It is a true example of strength.

Now, of all the things this beautiful flower lost to the fire that altered her life the one that touches my heart the most is her loss of Christmas. Yes, the fire occurred just four days before Christmas and she’s never felt the same joy again during this season.

I think she needs a Christmas miracle...

And I’m kind of hoping we can give her that miracle.

Maybe if we all take just a minute to stop by whimsical’s place and offer her a Christmas greeting she’ll begin to recapture the essence of this wonderful time of the year. If we’re lucky, the light of the sun will shine down upon the flower of her heart and rekindle the magic of Christmas and she’ll be even further healed.

Hey, miracles happen...

The whimisical Lotus Blossum.

"Merry Christmas, Babe."