Scrooged Over

This is my second Christmas without my mom. At the young age of 57, she died unexpectedly. As I reflect on Christmas this year, and how different it is without her, I am reminded of “The Christmas Carol”. The Ghost of Christmas Past reminds me of all the times and opportunities that I had to let my mother know how very special she was to me. Don’t get me wrong, I honored her, and never left her home without telling her how much I loved her. But when the opportunities to share those things cease to exist, you replay lots of scenarios and occasions in which you would have made a little extra effort. It’s just different now. Her house smells differently, the energy in the house is not the same, and her absence is painfully obvious. The Ghost of Christmas Present is my current reality. In the Jim Carrey version of The Christmas Carol, the ghost of Christmas Present warns Ebenezer about the evils of Ignorance and Want. In my life, I am guarding my heart against the ignorance of overlooking the many blessings I have because of what I want (Christmas like it used to be when Mom was still with us) is not possible. The Ghost of Christmases Yet to Come will be a direct reflection of what I do with Christmas Present. I will either choose to push through the loss and awkwardness of the changes in my life and enjoy what I do have, or I can live in the past and forfeit the joys of creating new traditions in my Christmases Yet to Come. I, just like Ebenezer Scrooge, must choose between being hateful and being grateful. My choice will be to push through, live in gratitude and enjoy Christmas Present so that I may rejoice in the Christmases Yet to Come. Merry Christmas, and to quote Tiny Tim, “God bless us everyone”.