Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone has a lovely and blessed holiday. And a safe one, too.

I'll be taking this week off. See you all next Sunday.

Hugs and chocolate,
Shelly

Cleaning Out the Bitters

Generally, I don't care much for Holidays. Back in 98, when my younger daughter's dad left, I decided then I would drop them altogether. They held too many bittersweet memories for me anyway. Who needed them?

Things really changed after he left. Besides, it reminded of God's so called goodness. I blamed Him for everything that went kapoot in my life. Not to mention, the church people were cruel when it all fell apart. I was totally alone. Not even my family offered a shoulder to cry on.

It didn't help that the ex had all the five girls for Christmas and Easter every year plus every weekend.

Those days were especially dubbed for cleaning out my closets. It kept me from missing them and gave me a good excuse not to have to spend any spare minutes at mom's. She's another story that I've been writing about over at Two Fur-Peeps and a Writer, www.shellysnovicewritings.blogspot.com/ .

As for getting together with other family members it usually spelled disaster. So and so didn't speak to so and so and on and on. Everyone within my family had their own little clique leaving me somewhere in the middle. 

There is no excuse for bitterness and anger or trying to make people be something they'll never be. Everyone is what they are. No one can make another person self-reflect and apologize. One can only do that for themselves. Something I learned since I had a few bitters growing on my own unhappy tree. But it took time.

So for years, I spent holidays quietly at home. In 2005, I ressurected Thanksgiving. It was always my favorite holiday and least commercialized. It also forced me to reflect on and count my blessings. And stop ... Being so bitter about all the crap that had exploded into my life. Kaka happens! And since we can't change the past. One must go forward. Right?

I also discovered that God wasn't at fault here. Bad things happen either because of our own personal choices or someone else's. And if any of us are guided by our own selfishness to do or not do something, well ... God had nothing to do with it. If we didn't ask Him in the first place to do or not do something, why get upset over it?

The path to forgiveness has been a long one. And I know I'm not there yet. People and family can be downright mean, self-serving, and critical. But so can I. Although, I've been diligently working on those areas. 

For every wrong someone has done to me, I can say I've bounced a lot of bad basketballs off of them. 

Yeshua told us to forgive someone seven times seventy. To forgive is to love thy neighbor as thyself. If we can't forgive others, how can we possibly expect God to do the same for us?

And yes, our family members are our neighbors.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and all went well with their families this year.

I had a very special visitor on Thanksgiving Day.

His mom and dad tagged along, too. The mom is my youngest daughter, Sticky Bun.

And of course, my dad came. Hair Ball claimed him as his own for the day.

Is anyone out there working on forgiveness? 

Hugs and chocolate, all!

Shelly

Progress: It's a Big Party Pooper

I debated on whether or not to write this post. It's sad to know that our opinions or beliefs could get us fired. But I'm of the belief that we're going to see a day in this country where people will be killed for what they believe in. There's a lot of animosity toward certain subjects. You can pick and choose which one. There are plenty to go around.

Today, I'm going to rant about Saturday and Sunday and our holidays. You see, I had to show up for work today(it's Sunday evening as I write this piece), knowing that I would be sitting and staring at the walls and my fellow hairdressers. WHAT A BORING WAY TO SPEND MOTHER'S DAY!!! I almost fell asleep and toppled out of my chair. I did a total of six haircuts in six hours along with everyone else. None of us made any money...well...except maybe the BIG CORPORATION. What is the deal with these organizations where they feel they have to squeeze the last dime out of everyone...? ON A HOLIDAY, mind you! It's bad enough that these CORPORATE SCOUNDRELS are now seizing our right to celebrate Thanksgiving. What next? Christmas? Easter?

Has America become so greedy that time with God, family, and friends aren't important anymore?

I really miss back in the day when the majority of people had the weekends off. People either went to church or synagogue. Practically no one had to go to work on a Sunday except waitresses and doctors and nurses. Gas stations weren't even open back then.

I miss being able to chill out with my friends. I miss those big Sunday dinners at Grandma's house. In fact, I used to daydream of the day that I would have the big dinners at my place. NOT!

I miss the old way of celebrating Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. It certainly wasn't at the mall  or at work. It was spent with family and friends and meditating on what that specific holiday meant to each one of us.

And we wonder why we're stressed. The American Way with all it's progress and CHANGE has made this nation sick if not sick and tired. Hypertension, heart disease, stress-related disease...family problems...YUP! I could go on and on. But I won't.

I hope everyone has a happy week and that you hug your family everyday.

Please feel free to rant about whatever you want in the comment box.

Hugs and chocolate, all!
Shelly