Holidays

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The Year of Living Gingerly

I have this thing – I like even numbers; 2011 is not an even number. Despite the pains of 2011, the year is turning out OK after all.

Let’s get the pain out-of-the-way: about four years of pain led to a right hip replacement in May 2011. Just a few weeks of therapy led to a nearly perfect summer. Then, I tumbled down the steps of our vacation house in New Hampshire and punctured my face on some boating gear at the bottom of the steps. Four doctors and many antibiotics later and the clutz who is me – healed. Finally, in my left shoulder diagnosed as frozen shoulder – has led to

Adam & his electric razor - wasn't he just needing a pacifier?

weeks and weeks of therapy that will lead into 2012 – but I’ll be fine. What is frozen shoulder? Women of a certain age can develop this real pain-in-the-joint affliction; some men and diabetics can develop frozen shoulder as well. The ligaments and tendons literally freeze which leads to restricted mobility. Try reaching up for a plate in the kitchen cabinet or scratching your back with the affected arm. You quickly learn the stages of frozen shoulder: freezing, frozen and thawing. I got to the doctor and physical therapist during the freezing stage. Now, I’m thawing. Thank you Meryl Goldstein, physical therapist at Excel in Cherry Hill. While the therapy is extremely painful – for her as well as me – I’m about 80% cured. Woo-hoo!

Enough of the pain already! Emotional pain has been the hallmark of our son’s senior year in high school. Adam is a bright, happy, overall well-adjusted young man. He’s just not as enthusiastic about life as perhaps he should be at this critical stage of his life. Senior year in high school means applying to colleges, financial aid applications, boy scout eagle project responsibilities and many other details. Detail-oriented – he is not. I constantly struggle over pushing him to get things done to completely backing off and letting him fail. Either one of these options is not the way to go. Striking the balance is extremely emotional. Somehow, I know Adam will succeed and do very well wherever his college career and career path leads.

Do you spend time looking at yourself from a distance? I wonder how I’m going to turn out; how my relationship with my husband will evolve and adjust; which hair color to choose. The thoughts go much deeper than a hair color, but I do spend time late at night or early in the morning thinking about my mortality. That’s pretty painful.

So how are things, really? I must be thankful and grateful for so many blessings: my family – both sides – and all their accomplishments and growth. I became a great-aunt late last year so I have a new family member to get to know. My physical fitness is definitely on the rise; my trips to the gym (and physical therapy) keep my head clear most days. When you see people at the gym who are a decade or two older than you and still getting there every day, you have to at least keep up.

Seeing the stories of our returning troops makes me wonder how they will spend the next year or two or longer adjusting to their stateside lives. The turbulent economy and changes in their families has to be stressful. In the end, I hope they find peace and happiness in their lives and know that so many of us are ever grateful for their service. I want to do something in 2012 to help as our service people return home.

As we opened our Christmas gifts this morning, I couldn’t help but remember that it seemed like a minute ago when my son was spitting up on my shoulder. Today, his favorite gift was the electric shaver we got him. Hearing the whir of the shaver made me nostalgic for the Christmas morning we spent wrestling with the hermetically packaged toys that needed assembly and running around looking for the right sized batteries to make the toys work.

The roast will go in the oven soon and the family will gather again for another Christmas. After the leftovers are put away and the last holiday light goes out, I wish for all the family and friends near and far a much less painful and much more happy New Year.

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It’s That Time of Year

Whether you have holiday lights twinkling around your house or not, the signs of the holiday season are everywhere. The thing is, it’s the signs you can’t see that really count.

We spent a quick 36 hours in Washington, D.C. for a family scout weekend. The three of us and three other families enjoyed family time in the nation’s capital. The shockingly blue, cloudless sky was the backdrop for all of the national monuments and museums we could squeeze in during the long Saturday and Sunday morning excursions. I was truly in awe of the Library of Congresswhich was Doug’s choice for a visit. The architecture alone was

Christmas tree in the Library of Congress

something to behold. The holiday decorations were stunning.

We stumbled upon a neighborhood cafe just one block away from the Library of Congress and enjoyed a little eavesdropping during lunch; listening to the conversations of the people who live and work in the district. I really enjoy hearing stories other people tell about their lives; Mainly because it’s not MY life.

We toured the capitol, which beyond the amazing structure (the dome weighs 900 tons), it was a little disappointing that we could not see the actual chambers where our lawmakers meet. This post 9/11 world is a reality that you just can’t get around.

I managed to squeeze in something I always wanted to do: walk along the National Mall before anyone else is up and about. Doug and I laced up our sneakers and bundled up against the 7 a.m. Sunday morning cold and spent a half hour on the Mall. The Capitol & Washington Monument were an amazing shade of pink as the winter sunrise struck the white buildings. A cold mist hovered along the walkways. The Smithsonian Museum at the center of the mall look like the old man anchoring all of the buildings that in just a few hours would be bustling with visitors. Besides a lone runner or two and a few people walking to work or toiling to take down event tents from the day before, the National Mall was at peace. All the history and information within all those buildings was at rest awaiting more

people to soak up the value of everything that is compiled in those many buildings.

After our evening meal as a group, we walked a mile to the see the national Christmas Tree. At the breathtaking site with the White House as a backdrop, adorned with festive wreaths were many other families, enjoying the crisp evening air and the holiday lights. I couldn’t help but wonder how many more times the three of us might be together to enjoy such a treasure. The real treasure though, is our time together. The sounds of children watching the toy trains chugging along the tracks around the huge evergreen and grandparents reveling in the time spent with the grandchildren both young and old fills you with hope that there are better times ahead.

Boy Scout Troop 8

With the holidays just about here, there are about a million things I have to do between work and home to welcome the family for Christmas. In between, we’re taking a Hanukkah dinner to friends of ours who just can’t get out and are having a lot of family challenges this year. Despite everything they are going through, they are such remarkable, loving people who take everything one step and one day at a time.

So, in all of your hustle and bustle, remember what really counts – the love of your family and friends and what you can give to others – your time – laughter – and a nice, warm meal. Go light the lights.

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One of 8 Nights

Every holiday season brings ups and downs. It seems the time between Thanksgiving and New Year gets shorter all the time. We start with Thanksgiving, my mom’s favorite holiday because no gifts are required, she always says. Sometimes as soon as Thanksgiving night according to the Jewish calendar, Hanukkah arrives. Celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas in our home means more of a rush. We now have to choose our

Our perfect Christmas tree from Culbertson's

Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. The shrinking number of tree farms offering evergreens for sale has shrunk as open space seems to gobble up those farms. This year, Hanukkah began Friday, December 11. Fortunately, the three of us were all in the same place at the same time so we could light the candles. Saturday, we drove to New York for a Hanukkah dinner with Doug’s brother, sister-in-law and other family. What a joy!
Our two nephews, aged 9 and 6 had their performances all ready. Nick played the violin and Noah read a

Noah's winter poem

poem he had written about winter. Larisa was too shy to share her talent, but her “blondness” is just so cute, just smiling was “show” enough. I brought along a book written by a distant relative, Jane Breskin Zalben, “Pearl’s Eight Days of Chanukah.” It was simply a joy to have the children and others gathered around listening to the story of Pearl whose cousins were visiting during the Festival of Lights. It was made more special since the author, from Long Island, was somehow related. I have since emailed her to tell her of sharing her story with the New York Breskins. I hope to hear back from her.
Meantime, as a winter cold settles in, we are a week from Christmas. We have two more nights of lighting the Hanukkah candles (if we’re all at home at the same time). The Joretts will spend Christmas dinner with us, so the decorations are going up. I figure by President’s Day I’ll be finished. The house always looks so festive and warm. I can never bake enough cookies for the holiday and before I know it, it’s New Years and time to think about taking everything down.

Reading "pearl's 8 Nights of Chanukah"

The holidays mean less for those who have lost someone. At the gym this morning a woman came in to tell the folks at the gym her husband, who’d been a faithful exerciser, had died of a sudden heart attack this week. Our friend, Agnes lost her husband several years ago. She says she’ll spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at a friend’s, but she doesn’t much like the holidays anymore.

Doug and the nephews light the lights

My son hasn’t mentioned it yet, but for years, he and I have gone into Philadelphia to enjoy the light display at Macy’s, which of course, used to be John Wanamaker’s. We’ve added the Comcast display and walking through City Hall courtyard to see the official city holiday tree. Lunch is always at Reading Terminal Market, Adam’s favorite. Tradition!
Here’s hoping we find quiet moments to be thankful for the time we have with our family and friends and be sure to mark off some special moments to share and remember. Happy Holidays!