Dear Mini York Peppermint Pattie:
You rule. Bite-sized and approximately 50 calories, you go in with the smooth silk of chocolate and then hit me up with some fresh mint. Delightful!
Thanks for perking up my afternoon.
(For more information on the famous pattie, click here.)
fresh breath-edly yours,
court
On Sunday evening, I went to bed at midnight in my hometown, where I had spent the holiday. Three hours later, I woke up. My friend picked me up at 4:15am, and off to the airport we went to catch our early morning flight back to New York. From the airport, I hustled to my 9-hour work today, which I spent trying to do two jobs at once (still haven’t found a replacement for my co-worker) and organize my own shopping/baking/holiday lists – all of which proved to be more stressful than joyful.
Needless to say, by the time 6pm hit, I was utterly exhausted.
Through the annoying merry and loud crowds, I shuffled my way along the subway, lugging my suitcase and sundry bags. Everything was blinking red and green, tourists were still on holiday and already had their happy hour glow going on. I was so tired, my eyesight was going.
As I sat on the subway (where I ended up falling asleep in that awkward, mouth-half-open position), I berated myself for feeling a bit Scrooged. Where was my holiday spirit? Just because I was fatigued didn’t mean I couldn’t appreciate the lovely holiday I had spent with my family, and the promise of more to come. Then my to-do lists began swirling in my head: I have to get items from Amazon.com (my new personal shopper), but first I have to decide on what to order. I have to bake several batches of cookies, and then figure out how to get them to people. I have to work on my church’s Christmas play that I’m directing. I have to make dates with all of my friends before Christmas arrives. I have to, I have to, I have to.
I felt like I was drowning.
When I arrived at my stop, I tried to perk up: This particular station has two flights of stairs, and I’ve never not had a nice young gentlemen offer to carry my luggage up them for me. (Not that I expect anyone to do it, but in today’s independent-woman-society, it’s nice to be the object of some old-fashioned chivalry.)
Well apparently today, I was supposed to model myself after Destiny’s Child and throw my hands in the air…with my suitcase.
By the time I made it to the top, I was sweaty, even more exhausted, and on the verge of tears from stress. I pushed my way through the crowds to the corner stoplight and looked up.
Christmas had come to my little corner of the world.
The local bar that greets everyone as they come into town had decorated the front with lush green wreaths and big, twinkling white lights. The restaurant next to it had velvet red ribbons pinned across its front door. And as I continued down the main street, nearly every small business or cafe has strewn lights or dotted their doors with mistletoe.
It was a sight to behold.
And one that infused the holiday spirit back into me.
Perhaps I just needed a little reminder: Don’t worry about the “have-to’s.” The holiday season isn’t about the number of cookies I bake, or if my personal shopper sends me gifts in two-day prime shipping. It’s about that moment, when I looked up and saw Christmas, and the warm feelings of holidays and home came rushing back.
I know, I know, this is all a little corny. And I feel that each year I go through something like this – we all do, in fact. Isn’t that one of the main complaints today? We need to stop stressing about the shopping, and start focusing on the spirit.
So I challenge all of you today, who read this (how many of you are there, two?) to do just that. Stop stressing on the “have-to’s” and start enjoying the “want-to’s.”
And may your holiday season be merry and bright.
Scrooged-no-more,
court
At this very moment, I only need 5 things in the entire world to make me incredibly happy. They are, in no particular order:
– Being at home, with my parents and loved ones abound.
– A steaming mug of Mom’s homemade spiced tea.
– A few slices of poppyseed nut roll.
– A beautiful, crackling fireplace in front of which I can curl up.
– The first snowfall drifting from the eternally greyish white sky.
And yes, indeed, I have all of those 5 things. 🙂
incredibly happily yours,
court
Ah, Thanksgiving. This day is like my blog’s golden, shining star holiday! The day on which we all stop to give thanks (….and eat and eat and eat and eat!). How beautiful a day this is, indeed.
After our dinner (which was both delightful and highly entertaining), I snuggled down on the couch in this house that holds my youth and adolescent memories in its heart – the only real home that I have ever known. And as as the tryptophan (and okay, the champagne) started to soothe me into a blissful nap, I began to wonder: what will be my Thanksgiving thanks?
There’s a million things that come to mind: my amazingly supportive family, my hilariously witty friends, the small but consistent upwards swing of my career. But there’s something else that comes to mind, another idea that attracts my gratitude during this time in my life.
Hope.
It’s a powerful belief that we all clench tightly in the palm of our hand, rubbing it like a lucky stone. A belief that we don’t always bring out, in fear of disappointment. A belief that some people disregard altogether, while still others live by faithfully.
In the past six months, I’ve come to realize how enormously my daily life depends on hope. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean hope in the sense of “Oh gee, I hope I win the lottery so I can finally pay off my credit card bills, and while I wait for my number to hit, I’ll do some online shopping” (dear Lord, how I do love online shopping, though). Instead, I mean the somewhat magical, optimistic shine of hope that good things are to come. In this sense, perhaps I even mean faith. Hope for a beautiful future, and faith that it will occur.
Were it not for hope, for the daydreaming of potential career and life paths, I’m not sure I would make it through the day. But when I feel downtrodden, or furious, or overwhelmed, there is a string of hope that plays in my soul, reminding me that things will get better.
In the past few months, my life has undergone several changes. And these (quite wonderful) changes were brought forth from hopes that I had tucked away in my palm for some time. These hopes came out of my mind, and become true.
So on this Thanksgiving, I stop to give thanks for hope. For that little lucky stone that I rub daily for good luck, for the dreams of potential, for the faith that bliss will occur.
May you all have a blessed and wonderful holiday, full of thanks, food and drink. Happy Thanksgiving!
hopefully yours,
court
Today, I am very thankful for that old favorite song “There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays” by Robert Allen and Al Stillmen, published in 1954. (Please note, I chose that YouTube video specifically for the fabulous lawn decorations. Come on, we all need a little holiday bright lights, don’t we?)
Perhaps I like the song because it’s a little folksy, a little old-fashioned. I can recall my mom humming and singing it around the holidays, especially as we were traveling to and fro during the season.
And truthfully, the sentiment couldn’t be clearer: No matter how far away you roam, when you pine for the sunshine of a friendly face, for the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home. Wherever home may be for each of us – the town in which we grew up (like me), or a group of friends-made-into-family in the city where you currently live – there is something magical and warm about spending the holidays with loved ones.
So this crazy and busiest travel day of the year, I wish that you all make it to your home sweet homes, wherever they may be.
And may you get a little TSA tender love, too.
homewards bound,
court
Dear Random Man With Whom I Shared A Cab,
Your out-of-the-blue comment “You have really pretty hair. …yeah, I guess that’s a weird thing for a stranger to just blurt out, sorry” was actually pretty funny and a lovely way to end my 15-hour day.
Thanks.
hair-flippingly yours,
Court
Beautiful line, isn’t it?
Into one song compress the love.
If you don’t know (as I certainly didn’t a year ago), this lyric comes from the song “Before the Marvel of this Night,” an incredibly beautiful choral piece sung around this time of year. We sang it last year at my church, and pulled it out again today.
As the eight of us sat there in the empty church, singing our fullest to this anthem, I was simply overwhelmed.
By love, by faith, by the holidays, by gratitude.
Perhaps it was the fact that today was my first day back at church after a long absence. Or maybe it was due to our first Christmas play rehearsal (which I’m directing) that morning, in which the kids’ faces lit up as they looked over their parts. Or it could be because I’m flying home this week to see my family, whom I miss very much.
Or simply, perhaps it is because I feel incredibly blessed for this life I’m leading. The love, the faith, the work, the challenges. All of it. And this song reminds me of that, every time I sing or hear it.
Take a listen, if you’d like. This is a version I found on YouTube – it alters very slightly from the one we sing, but you’ll get the overall understanding.
Enjoy. And here’s to the beginning of a beautiful, blessed holiday season.
blessedly yours,
court
P.S. If you’re interested – lyrics:
Before the marvel of this night
adoring fold your wings and bow,
then tear the sky apart with light
and with your news the world endow,
proclaim the birth of Christ and peace,
that fear and death and sorrow cease.
Sing peace, sing peace, sing gift of peace,
sing peace, sing gift of peace.
Awake the sleeping world with song,
this is the day the Lord has made,
assemble here, celestial throng,
in royal splendor come arrayed.
Give earth a glimpse of heavenly bliss,
a teasing taste of what they miss.
Sing bliss, sing bliss, sing endless bliss,
sing bliss, sing endless bliss.
The love that we have always known,
our constant joy and endless light,
now to the love-less world be shown,
now break upon its deathly night.
Into one song compress the love
that rules our universe above.
Sing love, sing love, sing God is love,
sing love, sing God is love.
Dear Teddy,
You, my dear sweet vagabond wanderer of the PATH train, are a sight for sore eyes.
Our first encounter was about three years ago. It was during an evening commute as I sat quietly amongst the other drained commuters, letting the end-of-day relief wash over us. The end subway door suddenly opened, and a somewhat nasal, almost sing-songy but underpitched voice (like a hoarse young boy trying to sing) was heard.
“Heeeeello everybody, I’m Teeeddy. I’m here to collect money for the hoooomeless.”
The spiel went on to list the organization for which you were collecting (I always forget the name, even though you say it every time), how even a penny would be wonderful, and how it would be so kind if we could all help you and your friends out. You shuffled through the cars, harmless and polite. At the time, I clutched my wallet tightly, nervous and suspecting (ah, how naive I was then).
A month later, I saw you again, when you held the car doors open for me and my boyfriend, who gave you a dollar for your kindness.
You popped up a few months after that, informing some of us which direction the train was going (thank goodness you did, or I would have been going the wrong way).
I soon came to find out that you were the resident vagabond, having rode the trains for at least ten years, probably more. And you were known by the majority of PATH-riders; a unifying factors of NJ/NY commuters.
Many discussions have been sparked by you, dear Teddy. One friend told the story of how you held the car doors for him one morning, which allowed him to make a connecting train and then flight home. Another person said that she looked up the institution for which you were collecting, and that it did not exist. (Really, did she expect it to? Must have been a tourist.) Yet another man said that you were his comfort, a constant in his harried, hurried life.
I tend to agree with the last man. In fact, as of yesterday, several months had gone by since I had seen you. I’ll admit, when time goes go by without a sighting, I become worried that you’ve fallen ill, or become injured.
But last night, Teddy, there you were. On the evening commute, requesting a small pittance for your troubles. My heart sang – my constant was there. And this time, as you passed, I threw a bill into your paperbag. Call me sentimental (or strange), but I feel like I’m contributing to a legend.
So here’s to you Teddy, a PATH institution. May your legacy continue for many years to come.
sincerely yours,
court
Today, I am thankful for creativity coming out of nowhere, and completing goals in time.
Right now, my goal is to publish this post, then take the night off.
completing her wednesday to-do list,
court
Dear Readers:
At this moment, life is very overwhelming. From loved ones coming down with illnesses to fast-approaching deadlines to never-ending piles of work, it feels like everything is hitting me hard right now. In the midst of this madness, I stopped tonight and thought, “What on earth could I be thankful for at this moment? While I am so incredibly stressed, so nervous – to what could I give thanks?”
How about the fact that I can be overwhelmed with all of these things? Aside from the news of illness, all of the overwhelming factors today have been from work, deadlines that I have imposed, and doing work for opportunities that would further my career and life. What I’m saying is: All of these factors are reasons for which to be thankful.
I have a job, a secure one at that, and while it can be stressful (especially now, minus a co-worker), at least I am able to earn a living.
The deadlines that I put on myself – they are all my doing. The opportunities that I take on to better my career and life, the opportunities that make me stay up late into the night to finish them, those are ones that I take on because I am able to. I am able to say, “Yes, I want to further my mind, my career, my life. Let me see what I can do to achieve those goals.” I should feel blessed that I have the ability to do such things!
I’m not sure if this post totally makes sense – I’m a bit fatigued at the moment – but in essence, I’m saying this – be thankful for the stresses. Because more likely than not, the stresses we have are other people’s dreams.
So tonight, count your stresses, not your blessings, as you go to sleep. And perhaps you will realize that the two are linked more than you know.
striving for a meditative state,
court
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