Christmas: After action report....
With no great expectations and an attitude set at "0" on the positive/negative scale I'd say my Christmas was not all that bad. A whole lot lonlier with my Dad gone and with one less dog, but not all that bad.
My Christmas Eve rounds at the hospital helped me "get out of self" somewhat, so much so that I believe that I'll make that an annual event. Christmas morning gift opening was paltry, but having Daphne is like having a kid around, at least as far as watching excited glee with new toys. Her's is a new knotted rope which she loves to pick apart and even more so she enjoys having me pull on it with her. Enjoys is an understatement. She could do this for hours. She's been carrying it around with her everywhere, even to bed.
I was glad and somewhat surprised that my Mom agreed to go with me to the Serenity AA Club Christmas dinner. These are always well attended, the food is great and plentiful and as my Mom commented, "they sure are a happy bunch". Indeed; and interesting too. Our membership runs the gamut of society including a former managing partner of a national accounting firm, three doctors and the associate minister of a large local church. We have members from some of the wealthiest families in Midland and guys from the Salvation Army trying to get started again. Some members have been prostitutes and some are from the Junior League. Black, white, hispanic and asian, gay and straight. We all have one thing in common, we are all glad to be there and we recognize none of the boundries that might be seen or felt on the "outside".
After my Mom's pleasant experience at Serenity, she commented that she needs to look on the positive side of things more often and to get out and more involved in life again. That was the best Christmas present I could have asked for.
With no great expectations and an attitude set at "0" on the positive/negative scale I'd say my Christmas was not all that bad. A whole lot lonlier with my Dad gone and with one less dog, but not all that bad.
My Christmas Eve rounds at the hospital helped me "get out of self" somewhat, so much so that I believe that I'll make that an annual event. Christmas morning gift opening was paltry, but having Daphne is like having a kid around, at least as far as watching excited glee with new toys. Her's is a new knotted rope which she loves to pick apart and even more so she enjoys having me pull on it with her. Enjoys is an understatement. She could do this for hours. She's been carrying it around with her everywhere, even to bed.
I was glad and somewhat surprised that my Mom agreed to go with me to the Serenity AA Club Christmas dinner. These are always well attended, the food is great and plentiful and as my Mom commented, "they sure are a happy bunch". Indeed; and interesting too. Our membership runs the gamut of society including a former managing partner of a national accounting firm, three doctors and the associate minister of a large local church. We have members from some of the wealthiest families in Midland and guys from the Salvation Army trying to get started again. Some members have been prostitutes and some are from the Junior League. Black, white, hispanic and asian, gay and straight. We all have one thing in common, we are all glad to be there and we recognize none of the boundries that might be seen or felt on the "outside".
After my Mom's pleasant experience at Serenity, she commented that she needs to look on the positive side of things more often and to get out and more involved in life again. That was the best Christmas present I could have asked for.
