Memo: Holiday Policy Changes Effective Immediately

Dear Readers of this note,

I would like to take a moment here to inform each and every one of you of some unilateral policy changes regarding our fall holiday season I have taken upon myself to make.

#1   October 31st can still be celebrated by all in whichever way the individual and/or family chooses.
#2  Once October 31st celebrations are complete, our collective focus needs to shift in the direction  of the many possible ways in which we might honor Our American Veterans.  Pick any option, or combination thereof, and execute the opportunity for an extra-special "Thanks" on the special day designated for them, (This year was on 11-11-11).

*****Here's where the major policy changes start:
#3  The "Thank you's" on Veteran's Day will serve as the kick-off ceremony for the weeks leading up to the Thanksgiving Holiday.  As part of this "new" Thanksgiving" season created, individuals should spend time each and every day thinking about, honoring, reminding themselves, etc. of all the things they have to be grateful for.
      I realize some people strive to be thankful and grateful regularly in much the same way they remember our service members past and present. But likewise, THANKFULNESS is a concept worthy of it's own season that builds up to a great celebration on Thanksgiving Day.
#4  Thanksgiving Day should be a culmination of all the extra attention given to being thankful in the few weeks leading up to this festive dinner and time with people we are grateful to have.  Football, in the form of either direct viewing or attempted playing is optional.  Napping is recommended, but not required.
#5  Black Friday:  Holiday shopping, (aka: hysterical mayhem),  may now begin.

     Please inform retailers of this change in policy so that they might join us in expressing gratitude for our Veterans, followed by a couple of weeks of preparing for Thanksgiving and expressing gratitude.  You may need to provide them with a brief history to explain why this latter holiday should not be swept under the rug.  Maybe throw in a sentence, or two, about how a grateful heart is one that enjoys giving, thereby boosting the economic output of the consumers frequenting their establishments, and that it isn't nice, or necessary to try and bury the art of being thankful under the rug on Thanksgiving.
    Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

Sincerely,
Katherine Schweitzer, EM

p.s.  Today, my gratitude focus has been on this amazingly soft sweatshirt I wear around the house way too much, and the huge bowl of creamy potato and chicken soup I made this morning, and the smell it has left lingering in my house, and the little boy I spent last night with, making me smile at his new dance moves, and....

     ****Disclaimer:  This note is not designed to discourage those inclined to make holiday purchases outside of this window of time.  A good bargain is a good bargain that should not be passed up.  Rather, it is  a reminder to ignore the plastic Christmas trees seated next to the Halloween costumes in mid-October,  a reminder to tune out the Christmas music playing in the aisles on November 1st, and a reminder to live in the present, appreciate what you have even if  spending $$ isn't involved, (sorry Wally World and Friends), and to not get caught up in the stresses and hype associated with the expectations hurled at us this time of year.

Six Lessons Learned About Strength and Weakness

1. Cats may think they are tough, but they are delusional in thinking that they really do have 9 lives. One car, one sip of poison, or one bad jump out of a tree, bashing its nose on a branch is all it takes to make its human mamma cry. You are strong, little kitties. You are brave and independent, too. But in the midst of all these strong and lovable traits, you are still vulnerable and weak like every other living thing is sometimes.
2. Much like cats, a person's strengths and weakness are often one in the same. I've always been a believer in this philosophy within myself. I see it in those around me, too. It's a delicate line to walk in keeping these two opposites in check: like walking on a razor blade's edge. My heart reminds me of this personal truth frequently as I contemplate hatred, or love, a person's exterior appearance versus who they are in spirit, etc. Love always wins out in the end, as does coming to know the heart and soul of someone else.
3. Strength is choosing to look inward at the ugly in ourselves, learning from it, growing from it and becoming somehow better as a result. Weakness is refusing to recognize and own the truth of #2 -- choosing to stay on an ugly path --choosing to continue doing ugly things.
4. Strength is being able to stand up and say, "No, I will not take this anymore!" BUT, speaking out is only a strength, if it is specific about an action, or deed. It's like teetering on that razor's edge, careful to make certain that your heart doesn't allow a specific to generalize and spread. "Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater," some might say, or "Judge the sin, not the sinner." Weakness would be disregarding the "BUT" part of this specific lesson.
5. Strength is being willing to recognize that we all fall short in items #2 through #4 sometimes, and not kicking ourselves when it happens. Weakness is choosing to cast aside this gift of choice we are blessed with and making the decision to face the world like a cat unconcerned about its mamma mourning the strong-willed, independent choices it made while jumping too high from the tree.
6. It's okay to be weak and cry about #1 though #5 sometimes. That's a strength comparable to dancing on a razor's edge.

L.O.V.E. = Live Our Values Everyday (Gizzy girl aka Chowdie Poof)

I am perfect in my weaknesses. (King LJ the cat)

Learn to dance on the edge of a razor (Stewie aka Ruin, Goddess of Oblivion)

Ring of Fire

On March 8, 2011, I printed up maps of plate tectonics and active volcanoes to help alleviate Gil's fears about them, along with his fears of tsunamis and earthquakes happening in our neighborhood. It's March 11th now and my son has gone to bed with the maps for 3 days, studying the weak areas and fault lines of our earth until he reached secure acceptance as to the reality of what he saw on those papers. His realization that Ohio stands so far away from The Ring of Fire quashed the nightmares threatening his sleep, and as a bonus, his new-found knowledge produced an evolution, allowing him to begin comprehending my passion for and connection to the geological makeup of our planet.

Up until today, I thought there was a distance between my home and The Ring, too, but that was before I heard the number 8.9 and saw the waves carrying cars and crashing houses and fires in the midst of it all. I think of the children whose nightmares have just begun, wishing I could send them each a map while telling them, "Come here to Ohio. It's safe here. I will teach you how to feel safe on our earth again and tomorrow we will go hunting for limestone fossils in the driveway. Now hush and sleep well."