Peace Is…

The Result Of Good Behavior

Santa leans down to my ear, his silky white beard tickling my cheek, and whispers…have you been good?

The child in me answers breathlessly…Yes Oh Yes

The adult me, now grown, older and not necessarily wiser, flexes my muscle memory reaching for the past. 

Truthfully, my reply is…I tried.

I tried to be good. 

Why, I wonder, are painful memories so easy to retrieve, and moments of joy the last to come forward.

Christmas is the time for giving and not for getting. 

Forgetting. 

I keep my muscles in shape in the gym, reaching bending, stretching, lifting weights, walking and rowing. 

The muscles in my brain, not so much. Going through the motions is not an easy task.

 Is the brain a muscle that can be exercised? 

The answer is YES.

How do I know? 

Because even Santa knows… 

Christmas is for BOTH giving and receiving. The love sent out returns to you. The kindness I offer in a smile, a kind word, or a simple unexpected thank you, returns to me. Perhaps only a nod, a grin or a smile, fills me with a memory of joy. The tank, therefore, is never empty. What is given for free, becomes a receipt marked paid in full.

Even when I feel less than , or am struggling with oh boy what do I do now, doing for someone else is simply trying. To try for someone else, to ease their way, is often just the first hint of exactly what I need for myself. A touch of kindness, a breath of fresh air, and a moment of sharing life with another. 

Trying heals. 

Giving, exercises the muscles needed, 

to receive the kindness when it is offered. 

Giving AND receiving is good for others, 

and a blessing for me that will surely be returned. 

If..if like Santa…

I am willing to believe that I have been good…

Then I am open to making memories of joy. 

I believe in SANTA. 

I believe in YOU. 

I believe YOU and I need each other to stay in shape. 

Merry Soon to Be Christmas…

Santa knows you have been good.

Believe it. 

Try!