The Parable of the 9 cookies

It was doggedee rainy here today. Just pouring. It looked like it might be snow at first, that slow falling and each piece looking so defined. But no, it was water as in rain. I got soaked. Head to pretty much toe.

I took Jacob to the library, and he used the umbrella. He's 3 feet tall. I am not. He also has a radar that causes his feet to pounce in every puddle.

One of the ladies in the library today has a very mobile 16 month old. He's like a little wind up toy. She sets him down, and he just walks in a direction till he comes to something and then grabs that something and turns and moves on...it's so funny to watch. I said something to her about him being just the right height to grab things off the Christmas tree. But the mom told me they don't put up a Christmas tree because they don't believe in them.

She said something about she and her husband being Catholic and Jewish. I have friends and family who are Jewish, and they put up Christmas trees, so I was interested and curious, because I am about others beliefs and cultures - in a good way -- but she said it was because they do not want to celebrate the commercialism of Christmas. They give their child one gift. I wanted to hear more about what she had to say, but it was difficult talking while children are running around and not listening to Miss Vanessa. Maybe I can talk with her again sometime, but it's doubtful I'll see her again before Christmas.

My sister in law told me about another lady who said they give their children three gifts only. Three gifts because the Christ child received three gifts. And the three gifts they give represent (somehow) gold, frankincense and myrrh. I remember as a kid having to look up what 'frankincense and myrrh' were.

I am still not overwhelmed with the Christmas spirit. And to that, I do not fault Christmas. I love Christmas.

I baked cookies. They were so good. I ate 9 of them last night. At this rate I'll gain 20 pounds before the 25th. I freeze mine right away, and then they are marvelous!

I baked banana bread. Two kinds. One with All Bran cereal in it for those who may need to increase their fiber with good tasting stuff, and one with applesause instead of oil so as not to clog any more arteries than necessary. My 20 year old said, "Please, Mom, stop already with the changing of the receipes. Let us have our fat and good tasting stuff. We're all going to die anyway."

I still have shopping to do. But not because I haven't been shopping. But only because I can't think of what to buy!! Or what I really want to spend money on!! I am not a very good consumer.

When I reach these weird blue funky moves, I reach around all over for words -- The Bible and Shakespeare are my favorites --

"Love all, trust a few. Do wrong to none." (All's Well That Ends Well)
-- William Shakespeare

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."
-- 1 Peter 4:8

But it remains about love
and love conquering all,
and giving regardless of how you feel,
and tolerating that one more thing you thought you couldn't tolerate,
and be sensible
and take a walk after you eat those 9 cookies,
and oh yes, probably make that phone call you've been thinking about making,
and address that card you were thinking about addressing,
and, yeah, go ahead and say I'm sorry ....

In an old movie they said, "love means never having to say you're sorry."
That's a nice sentiment. But love means go ahead and say it. Then you don't ever have too.

The following is about Saying you are Sorry being a good thing. It's a 5 page read, but it's good. Here is an excerpt ....

"Far and away the biggest stumbling block to apologizing is our belief that apologizing is a sign of weakness and an admission of guilt. We have the misguided notion we are better off ignoring or denying our offenses and hope that no one notices.

In fact the apology is a show of strength. It is an act of honesty because we admit we did wrong; an act of generosity, because it restores the self-concept of those we offended. It offers hope for a renewed relationship and, who knows, possibly even a strengthened one. The apology is an act of commitment because it consigns us to working at the relationship and at our self-development. Finally, the apology is an act of courage because it subjects us to the emotional distress of shame and the risk of humiliation, rejection, and retaliation at the hands of the person we offended.

All dimensions of the apology require strength of character, including the conviction that, while we expose vulnerable parts of ourselves, we are still good people."

This article is not from a spiritual stand point at all. It's kind of like - just the facts, 'mam. So be sure you take that into consideration should you decide to read it all, and it is showing some wise insight, which really to me, is nothing more than common sense from a worldly perspective.

In my opinion this ~
love means, say you are sorry, bake the cookies, eat 9, take a walk, and admit to yourself you are sorry that you ate them. Then all will go better with the world.