JOY

I have always loved Fall through Winter. The firey orange, golden yellow and deep red colors are so vibrant and alive. My heart literally jumps for joy as the weather turns from a bone drying heat to a crisp cool breeze, chilling my cheeks and pinking up nose.

So many wonderful memories of sneaking behind my Dad, as he just finished raking up what looked like mountains of fallen mulberry leaves. Waiting for my Mom to yell, “Go!” while Dad, would pretend to be mad at us, playfully hollering, “Nooooo! Reeee-taaaaa, that’s not funny!” He would chase us around, until the big pile of leaves were scattered all over the front yard once again. Oh, the joy on the faces of my parents as they watched us jumping, running and rolling around in the leaves.

I guess it isn’t hard to understand why I look forward to this time of year. So many sweet memories of Mom making candy cane shaped cookies, thumb print cookies, and different colored popcorn balls for our fall school fiesta, and evenings. Memories of my Dad sjaking his keys to open the front door, or shaking the door handle of the back door to let us know he was homecome home. My siblings and I would race from wherever we were to be the first to be and spin around, so we could sit on the top of his shoulders. Then we’d wrestle him down to the ground, and he would pile us on top of each other. As the one on the bottom would crawl out from unde the pile, he’d grap their ankle, and put them on top of the pile. It was his way of giving Mom a few more minutes to pack up the goodies and finish dinner, and get us all good and tired, so we’d be able to go to sleep after our baths.

My parents made sure our lives had plenty of joyful moments, and for that I am so very grateful for all the lessons on how to create memories, even through the hard times.

Though the ones closest to me seemed to have passed away at the beginning of Fall thru the season of Winter, I feel, they interceded on my behalf, asking the Lord to keep my heart open to continuing to feel the Joy I had experienced and grew found of during these seasons.

It has been such a Merciful Gift, I have grown to be aware that my Joy has not diminished, but has continued and grown inspite of my loved ones not being physically beside me,, and I cherish this gift and pray I will not take for granted.

This evening after cutting a dear friend’s hair, my precious daughter popped in, and helped me get down some Christmas decor for inside the house before she ran back home to take care of her little family.

At first, I wasn’t sure what I was going to put up. I started to uncoil a few battery operated lights and came across my Rudolph the Red- Nosed Reindeer Scene. Though it was not the Nativity Scene I was looking for, Joyful Memories came flooding into my heart and mind of my

Mom making popcorn and hot chocolate, while Dad unzipped and laid down a heavy sleeping bag on the carpet in front of the TV, so my siblings and I could watch that movie. The picture of all the love an joy of that memory had me smiling from rar to hear. I remembered, when the abominable snowman could be heard roaring in the distance, and we’d, all, jump between my parents, until we knew it was going to be friendly once it got his tooth out. I knew, I wanted to not only continue create memories of this scene being put up for my older grandbabies, I also wanted to create a something slightly different to for my newest granddaughter’s 1st Christmas.

I found a place to set it the scene up, and my creative juices started flowing. With some plastic grocery bags, the tiny lights and scotch tap, I got to work. I was almost giddy, thinking how much fun it will be to see my grandbabies see the completion of it.

Its not how much we do that matters.

Its about the Joy we allow to flow through what we do, that brings Joy to all who are the present.

Written by Deanna G. DeBondt

December 11, 2022

Happy 2nd Heavenly Birthday Momma!

11:11pm