Christmas Morning 2019 ...
by Gloria Faye Brown Bates




Photo 2017 Christmas past ... Skip and Duke

Christmas morning ... Christmas morning ... Christmas morning.

There, that says it all. So many words to share to describe how I feel this morning and all I can say is ... Christmas morning.

I think I am still in shock ... pain, grief. We experienced a loss dear to our Hearts on Christmas Eve. One I can't even talk about ... I don't know that I'll ever talk about it here.

Sometimes, there comes a time in life we can't share with ours about things so close, personal in our lives. Why? I think because they are things so complex, so hard to talk about ... who has all that time to listen to ... understand?

Today's time we all are at a fast pace ... we have to do things quickly, move on. It's like that even for the most relaxed people I think. I haven't met anyone truly relaxed lately ... have you?

I remember when we drove team on the tractor-trailer. We drove to the west coast each week ... we came back to the east coast ... picking up, delivering ... vegetables, tee shirts, paper, glue, peanut butter, so many things. Do you know what struck me as unusual and what I never wanted to live in?

When we were in California during holidays ... vacation time ... we would see miles and miles of traffic waiting in lines to get into vacation attractions, places to shop ... people had to wait in line to have their vacation, go buy Christmas gifts. Oh my, that disturbed ME a lot.

Isn't that awful? This was in the 90's. Well, this is 2019 ... it's happening on the east coast now. So, so, so many people trying to live, work, vacation in the same space. Space ...

Space has become more valuable here on the east coast. Prices have soared ... traffic is out of this world here now. People ... people ... people everywhere where you used to see ... calm, empty space.

I am smiling ... I love people ... especially people who are different from Me. I never know what I might learn from them, their culture.

Gracious ... don't mention the possibility of snow here, now! The people who have moved here have laughed ... made fun of southerners running to the supermarkets to wipe out all the milk, bread ... they are the very ones who are doing it now. I am truly amazed. I laugh because ... we all are just human ... instincts kick in ... survival. Doesn't matter where one's from.

I try to have that problem remedied ... go to the bread store when there aren't any shortages, emergencies ... simply buy loaves of bread ... put them in the freezer. Then ... when bad weather arrives ... go to the freezer ... take out the bread.

Milk ... we try to always have 2 gallons of milk in the refrigerator. That comes from when Tommy was living ... lived with us. Oh my, how he loved milk. Skip loves milk. ME? That's a complicated story ... I love milk ... the unusual thing is ... when I open the refrigerator door ... I never ... see it.

I don't ever see milk sitting there. Strange? Yes, it's strange ... the story just as strange when a little girl ... ME ... learned not to drink milk ... why? To be sure the milk was always there for someone who needed it more than her.

Today ... I don't see milk because I leave it ... for others to drink. I do, however ... use extra cream in my coffee ... no sugar.

It's okay for ME in my mind to drink extra cream from the container ... because it isn't what I learned not to drink. I always see the carton of creamer in the refrigerator!

It is the same way with the orange juice ... it's only when I need to drink orange juice I see it sitting in the refrigerator unless Skip brings my attention to it. I love orange juice ... as the little girl who was taught not to get into the milk ... orange juice and chocolate milk were on that list. So ... it's rare I drink either ... I don't ... see them.

About the orange juice ... this is only for both Skip and I ... I don't push anything on anyone. I will share why, when I drink orange juice ... who knows it might help you if ... you try it. It has to be 100% orange juice. We get it with pulp ... doesn't matter though.

From time to time ... when one of us gets leg cramps at night time ... we go straight to the refrigerator, get out a glass of orange juice ... drink it. Oh my, the cramping hurts so bad while drinking it but, I am reassured in just minutes no matter how severe the cramp is ... it's going to stop hurting. It does every time!

How did I learn this? When taking chemotherapy years ago ... I began having really bad cramping in my legs ... I would wake up crying. Chemo drugs take a lot out of one's body. You don't have to be taking chemo for this to work ... just in our normal lives it works.

A nurse told me to begin drinking orange juice when a cramp would strike ... oh my, it makes all the difference and I thank God every time I have a leg cramp ... have orange juice to drink. I hope this little tip ... a valuable tip ... might help you someday. Let me know.

I have went from Christmas morning to grief, the pain of another loss in our lives that's completely changed it ... all the way to orange juice. I didn't know I would be able to write when I began writing just ... Christmas morning.

Note by this Author:

I write about real life ... my Life ... about ME. Sometimes, like now ... I can write about real life only not be able to write the details when something happens so bad I can't talk about.

No, I don't know I'll ever write about it. The pain, grief because of so much love is devastating. I won't write about this ... sometimes things are best left not said

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Story/photos written, owned by Gloria Faye Brown Bates/GBB.
Image may contain: living room, christmas tree, table and indoor