A PENNY and A DIME FOR CHRISTMAS!!

Getting together at CHRISTMAS has always been a BIG DEAL in our family. The TRADITION of being together as a FAMILY - SHARING a great meal together (thank you ELLEN!!) and being CREATIVE and THOUGHTFUL with our gift-giving. A time that is ripe for MERRIMENT, LAUGHTER, JOY and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

Without MOM and DAD, we have created some new TRADITIONS, but the LOVE and the importance of TOGETHERNESS still remains.

Since my MOM and DAD died (1999 and 2000), I've been finding PENNIES from my DAD on occasion and DIMES from my MOM all the time. It happened more frequently at first, but I'm amazed that it continues to this day.

And it's not just random either. It's when I'm thinking of something important that I'd appreciate their input on or when I need confirmation that I'm on the right track or sometimes it's like "a little pat on the back" when I do something kind -  recognized by one of them. It's a wonderful way to live, having this belief.

I believe the arrival of a PENNY AND A DIME yesterday was a simple "HELLO, WE ARE THINKING OF YOU, MERRY CHRISTMAS!".  

You see, I was opening the mail and naturally there were many CHRISTMAS cards......... suddenly I saw an envelope with a PENNY AND A DIME in the window!! I tilted my head........

The letter was addressed to FRED KISTLER, my father's brother.  The crazy thing is, I had Fred's mail forwarded to me when he got sick and was in the hospital, failing. He died shortly thereafter. But that was in 2004 - THIRTEEN YEARS AGO!!

The key is, the envelope wasn't addressed to me, because that would be too random and they needed to provide confirmation for me that it was really from them. So the letter, addressed to UNCLE FRED was their way of confirming to me, that the message truly was from MOM and DAD.

There is EXTRA SPECIAL MEANING to the words "I BELIEVE" for me this year!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS MOM AND DAD and UNCLE FRED and all of those have passed........

AND, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO!!!  xoxo

Joan