FIRST SNOWFALL IS ON IT'S WAY

WELL, I VENTURED OUT OF THE HOUSE TODAY, TO GET SOME FOOD SUPPLIES, AS THE FIRST SNOW STORM FOR NEW JERSEY IS ON IT'S WAY, TONIGHT, WITH A PREDICTION OF 2 TO 4 INCHES.  I BOUGHT LOTS OF STUFF, AND LOOKED AT ALL THE HOLIDAY THINGS....I EVEN BOUGHT SEVERAL BOXES OF CHRISTMAS CARDS, TO GET INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT...........IT IS ALWAYS THE SAME....EVERYTHING IS FINE, BUT WHEN I GET BACK HERE, TO AN EMPTY HOUSE WITHOUT JIMMY, I REALLY SAY TO MYSELF, "WHAT'S THE SENSE OF IT ALL?"  (trying and pretending to be happy, that is).

ONE THING FOR CERTAIN, IN OUR CULTURE, YOU JUST CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM CHRISTMAS....IT IS THERE EVERYWHERE YOU TURN........

ONE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOUR LOVED ONE IS HARD.....

THE SECOND YEAR GETS HARDER.....

AND WELL, THE THIRD YEAR, WHICH IS THIS YEAR , IS EVEN HARDER AGAIN.......

JIMMY IS BUSY AT THE STORE....TODAY WAS A VERY HECTIC AND CRAZY DAY FOR HIM, BECAUSE ALL THE "CRAZIES" ARE OUT THERE, FOR THE HOLIDAYS.............I TOLD HIM, "I KNOW, HONEY.  THAT'S HOW IT WAS FOR ME, WHEN I WORKED IN A LARGE HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK CITY.  AS THE HOLIDAYS APPROACHED, PEOPLE WOULD EMERGE OUT OF THE WOODWORK.  I KNOW HOW IT IS TO WORK IN A LARGE METROPOLITAN CITY."....................

AND SO, HE CONTINUES TO TELL ME THAT I AM THE ONE THAT "KEEPS HIM GOING."

"I THINK ABOUT YOU ALL DAY, JIMMY."

"I HOPE YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT ME. I WOULDN'T WANT YOU THINKING ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE ALL DAY," HE JOKINGLY TELLS ME.

HE TELLS ME THIS STORY, LAUGHING INTO THE PHONE......"SOME LADY CAME INTO THE STORE, ACCUSING ME OF TAKING HER 2 CHICKENS AND EATING THEM....SHE STARTED CALLING ME ALL SORTS OF NAMES."

"DID SHE MEAN LIVE CHICKENS, OR COOKED CHICKENS, JIMMY?"

"I DON'T KNOW , FRAN."...........HE WAS LAUGHING..........."YOU JUST CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT GOES ON HERE.  THE PEOPLE ARE JUST INSANE."

"I KNOW JIMMY, THAT'S HOW BIG CITIES ARE."

I'M LUCKY TO HAVE A HUSBAND WHO TAKES THINGS LIGHTLY, ANDCAN LAUGH ABOUT THINGS........I MEAN, HE IS SERIOUS ABOUT HIS JOB, BUT HE DOESN'T LET THINGS BOTHER HIM.

HE TOLD ME HOW CUSTOMERS WERE FIGHTING IN THE PARKING LOT, AND THE POLICE HAD TO BE CALLED.....

WELL, ON ANOTHER NOTE, I 'LL CONTINUE WITH "FRAN'S CHRISTMAS LIST."  AS I TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH JIMMY, HE SAID, EVEN A SMILE CAN BE A GOOD DEED, FOR SOMEONE SAD OR LONELY............SO WHEN I WENT OUT SHOPPING, I LOOKED TO FULFILL THE 3RD DAY OF MY CHRISTMAS LIST...DOING GOOD FOR OTHERS......

#3.....DECEMBER 3, 2005.............AS I WAS STANDING IN THE CHECK OUT LINE, AN ELDERLY WOMAN IN BACK OF ME STARTING TALKING TO ME.  SHE TOLD ME HOW SHE FELL IN THE PARKING LOT OF ANOTHER STORE LAST WEEK, AND BROKE HER FINGER AND SOME RIBS (her hand was in a splint).....SHE VERBALIZED TO ME THAT "SHE HATES LAWYERS."   :)     THEN SHE STARTED TELLING ME ABOUT HER HUSBAND WHO PASSED AWAY 2 YEARS AGO, AND SHE NOW LIVES ALONE.  I LISTENED TO THIS WOMAN FOR QUITE A LONG TIME, AND ALLOWED HER TO VERBALIZE WHAT WAS ON HER MIND ( THE LOSS OF HER HUSBAND)...I ALSO LET HER KNOW I WAS A NURSE.  I LET HER KNOW I WAS THERE TO LISTEN.  IT WAS A BRIEF ENCOUNTER FOR A FEW MINUTES, BUT I FELT HAPPY THAT I WAS THERE FOR HER..........

EACH DAY I WILL FIND SOMETHING TO HELP OTHERS....STAY TUNED FOR TOMORROW!

"WHAT IS CHRISTMAS?"

"CHRISTMAS IS GIVING."........and it need not only be monetary.....it can be a thing, a thought, or a wish............BE CREATIVE IN YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS, TO THOSE YOU LOVE, AND TO HUMANITY , IN GENERAL!

WITH LOVE, AND CHRISTMAS WISHES...............FRAN