Joy to the World- Part One

THE LULU CHRONICLES

I wrote a weekly newspaper column for seventeen years, titled FOOTSTEPS & HEARTBEATS. I stopped writing the column when I started writing books. There were only so many hours in the day and something had to go. But, I remember a particular series of columns I wrote back then that still resonates today. So, during this holiday season LuLu and I would like to share them with you. Are you game? LuLu thinks I should do something productive with my time, since I’ve left her alone in the garage for way too long. So, I’ve spiffed them up a bit and here’s the first one:

Joy To the World- Part One

I wrote a column once where a source was neglected to be mentioned. When I saw the article in print I got angry. I blamed the newspaper. However, when I looked back at my original article I found I was the one to blame. I had forgotten to include the source.

Why are we so quick to blame others for something gone wrong? At this time of the year when joy and peace should reign in our lives, I''m afraid they can actually have a short rule.

Oh, we start off fine. Shopping, baking, and trimming the tree are exciting. But as the weeks wear on, the strain of it all causes us to snap, crackle, and blame. It is the store clerk's fault that the customer in front of you just bought the last bottle of grandma's favorite cologne. As a shop clerk, it's the customer's fault that the item he picked doesn't have the price tag on it and now a price check has to be sought as your line begins to grow with impatient shoppers with children with candy canes stuck in their hair and… well you get the picture.

'Tis the season to be rude to people we don't think matter, like the guy who sits at the stop light a bit too long after it turns green. Honk!

"Please" and “Thank you" are in season all year. We are hustling and bustling to make the holiday season special for the ones we love. What we must remember is that it isn't the trappings of Christmas that make it special… it's the people. If we have to step on someone’s face to create joy in our own small worlds, then the price is too high, don’t you think?

Joy is people.