Dear Santa Claus

 

Dear Santa Claus,

How are you doing? I pray this finds you safe and well.

As I write this, I know you were just spotted in the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil. You’re expected to arrive in Bolivia shortly. I’m envious. You’re still able to travel around the world. Many of us can neither afford that luxury nor are we willing to take the risk travel holds today. I have no doubt that you are vaccinated and boostered. We all know this pandemic is nothing to play around with. I always air on the side of caution. Better safe now than sorry later. Just make sure you keep a mask close in case you bump into anyone along your trek tonight.

It’s been quite a year, Santa! After 2020 there was expectation and hope that this year would move us past viruses and quarantines and return us to a semblance of normalcy. That didn’t unfold in the way we’d anticipated. We are still plagued with illness and loses, and things are far from the normal we all remember. We now have Omicron, a new variant to the virus, and more people are willing to put themselves and others at risk just to prove a point that’s disputable. It’s a sad state of affairs, big guy, but many of us are still holding out for a miracle of sorts.

On a personal note, I can’t complain. I’ve been immensely blessed this year and I’ve tried hard to bless others as often as I’ve been able. As a family we experienced a wealth of loss last year, burying more than our fair share of family members. It was bad. This year we welcomed babies! Lots of new babies. Life continues and it’s a choice whether we keep up, or not.

I don’t have a lengthy wish list this year, Santa. All I want is to see loved ones safe and healthy. I wish for abundance and prosperity for those in need and when you have a moment, blow some common sense though the air for those who do most of their thinking without their brains. I’m grateful to still be standing, Santa and I appreciate that I’m still able to do what I love. Even when things got hard and all seemed lost, I continued to be blessed and I don’t take that for granted. Some more of that would really be nice.

Lastly, some kid out there has a pony on her wish list Santa. Please, don’t make her wait for thirty-plus years to get it. I’m still trying to figure out your problem with giving a girl a stallion! Just imagine what I could have accomplished if I’d gotten mine when I’d originally asked.

Keep your head down, Claus! We’ve missed you and we want to see you again next year. Give the Mrs. my regards and kisses to the elves. Tell Rudolph we know about that problem of his and we’re keeping him lifted in prayer. That bright red nose is a dead giveaway! Booze rarely solves problems long term, but I understand. Starting my day with a shot of bourbon in my coffee had become a bad habit I had to break. Might I suggest organic juices for our four-legged friend?

Continue to bless us with joy and love, Santa! I promise to try to do the same.

Until next year,

Deborah

BESTIES

I respect my limitations. I know there are some things I’m just not good at. Although my intentions are always good, I regularly fall short of full and total success. Much like this blog that I seem to regularly forget about, I’m bad about calling people and keeping up with them. My inability to remember and acknowledge birthdays and anniversaries defies logic. Some things come to me after-the-fact and by then, it’s usually too late. My social etiquette skills are just horrific more times than not.

I have a bestie who never forgets an important date and regularly follows up with the appropriate card or acknowledgement. She sends the perfect gifts when a loved one is lost and never misses a celebration of someone’s accomplishments. She has regularly put me to shame, and I’ve always envied her ability to make what seems unfathomable look so easy.

Lately though, I think she’s given up the ghost and I can’t much blame her. Hell, why call folks who don’t try to call you? This Thanksgiving was not the first holiday I didn’t hear from her. The last few years have seen her bypassing those of us who look like we don’t appreciate her and her efforts. So, this year I did call for the holiday. Albeit two days late, but two days was a true win for me. Not that I’m defending my actions, but hell, I know my shortcomings and there is no point in me lying about them.

I love my dear friend and her ability to remember and acknowledge those of us in her life has always been a blessing to me and many, many others. You could depend on her like clockwork and personally, I became very comfortable with that. I could fall short because she was there to pick up me and my slack. But I can also see that her not getting that back from me could be perceived as me being selfish and diminishing. I have no doubts that it has raised questions about the depth of our friendship and whether or not I am truly someone she can still depend on.

I genuinely want to do better and be a better friend. And I know that I’ll put forth the effort but like that last diet, it might not last long. It’s not who or how I am but it also doesn’t negate my love and affection for the woman who is more sister to me than anything else. She has always been my rock and my cheerleader, encouraging me forward when I didn't think I could take another step. She's my oldest and dearest friend and I love her unconditionally. She is my bestie! She knows me better than most, so I hope, if nothing else, she knows my heart.