Merry Christmas

The Merriest of Christmases my dear friends. I am so very blessed. Just this morning, Ian opened one of his presents. He still has (and probably always will have) a childlike joy in new things---he doesn't "grok" the whole Christmas scene--but he does know how to unwrap presents, and understands that there is probably something wonderful inside the mysterious packages under the tree. He loves toys that play music, and this morning he unwrapped a particularly cool one that plays all sorts of tunes, has a keyboard, allows you to select style (jazz, hip-hop, reggae, etc.) along with several other groovy features. He LOVED it. He carries it around like a boom box and puts it right next to his ear, all the while rocking back and forth with glee.

What can I say about all the gifts Ian has given me? Oh my goodness. Well, here's one.  He has given me the great gift of perspective. Most of the things that I used to think were so vital for my happiness and wholeness I see now were just illusions---shadows that had no substance. Living with a severely disabled person pares down one's expectations, desires, wants and needs to the bare bones. And I'm surprisingly happier for it. Most stuff is just that---stuff, and not really necessary at all. What IS necessary is love, and that's about it. I'm reading an exquisite book entitled Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup. The following paragraph from this book sums up quite nicely my thoughts on life and religion:

"God is love, John's Gospel tells us. That's a whole theology in three words. The practical application of that theology---God is love--- is nearly as simple. Be as loving as you can, as often as you can, for as many people as you can, for as long as you live. Why should you do this? Because."

While I have always believed that at an intellectual level, raising Ian has caused me to apply this in practical, everyday ways. He has been my guru, my spiritual director, on this wild and woolly journey called LIFE. Day to day life with Ian draws out undiscovered depths of unconditional love, patience, forbearance, humor, compassion, and all sorts of other good, lasting, solid stuff. What else matters? Do I need a big house, a fancy car, unwrinkled skin, a great wardrobe, etc. etc. (O.K. the unwrinkled skin would be nice...sigh....)---NO! I need my dear lovely son in all his quirkiness to remind me of what is truly important and lasting. I need to love the people around me as much as possible (because they won't always be there), and I need to keep Jesus firmly in my heart because I love him and he has been such a good friend and teacher to me. That's it. That's all. That's enough. So hugs all around. I am so thankful for my crazy family: my dear patient husband, my darling daughter and that wonderful, wacky son of mine.

Again I say Merry Christmas. And may we all experience the blessing of perspective. God bless you !