What is Christmas? Christmas is not a particular day, like December 25th, for instance. Hopefully, for you, it is a time when the family can come together with love and positive thoughts and feelings for the meeting at hand. It is a frame of mind and a message from the heart that says "I love you" with all the understanding of what love might be. Christmas is a magic word that means so many good things to so many different people, relaying its own special message about the lives we live. It is a phenomenom that evokes the best parts of all of us, with the intention of giving it all away. It is that part of our souls which considers the well being of our neighbors, relatives, and friends, regardless of who they are or where they may be. Christmas is certainly not about me... When I was a child, I lived in a place where the winters were cold and the snow flew free. I recall being bundled up in my impatience, just waiting for the "magic day" to come. But really, now that I am an older man, the important memories I treasure have replaced "what I got last year". Today, the memories I have of those days gone by have all to do with those wonderful people who put things in my life far more important than trains and radios and football suits and games and puzzles. Today, the most precious of gifts and memories I can recall is knowing... really knowing... that some very special people loved me, and raised me with only the best intentions. Today, I spend my time in a foreign land, so far away from what I once called home. Today, Christmas means love and hope, and yes, peace. Today, Christmas means believing that all of those wonderful people who have come and gone, and left their thumbprint in my heart, live in a place that is filled with love, peace, and hope. It means that we each will think and believe and feel what we will, and that nothing will ever take from us what we will grow to find tucked away within ourselves. Christmas is not a particular day, like December 25th, for instance... How could it be, when, in truth, each day that passes holds yet a new opportunity to love, to wish peace and hope, to remember a loved one, but most of all, to give of oneself? May the healing and hopeful power of love be found in you and yours on Christmas Day and every day. John __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

Well said John - keep warm- ----- Original Message ----- From: "indi opie" <indianopening@yahoo.com> To: <NYMADISO-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2004 4:16 PM Subject: [NYMADISO] To each and every one of you... > What is Christmas? > > Christmas is not a particular day, like December 25th, > for instance. Hopefully, for you, it is a time when > the family can come together with love and positive > thoughts and feelings for the meeting at hand. It is > a frame of mind and a message from the heart that says > "I love you" with all the understanding of what love > might be. Christmas is a magic word that means so > many good things to so many different people, relaying > its own special message about the lives we live. It > is a phenomenom that evokes the best parts of all of > us, with the intention of giving it all away. It is > that part of our souls which considers the well being > of our neighbors, relatives, and friends, regardless > of who they are or where they may be. Christmas is > certainly not about me... > > When I was a child, I lived in a place where the > winters were cold and the snow flew free. I recall > being bundled up in my impatience, just waiting for > the "magic day" to come. But really, now that I am an > older man, the important memories I treasure have > replaced "what I got last year". Today, the memories > I have of those days gone by have all to do with those > wonderful people who put things in my life far more > important than trains and radios and football suits > and games and puzzles. Today, the most precious of > gifts and memories I can recall is knowing... really > knowing... that some very special people loved me, and > raised me with only the best intentions. > > Today, I spend my time in a foreign land, so far away > from what I once called home. Today, Christmas means > love and hope, and yes, peace. Today, Christmas means > believing that all of those wonderful people who have > come and gone, and left their thumbprint in my heart, > live in a place that is filled with love, peace, and > hope. It means that we each will think and believe > and feel what we will, and that nothing will ever take > from us what we will grow to find tucked away within > ourselves. > > Christmas is not a particular day, like December 25th, > for instance... How could it be, when, in truth, each > day that passes holds yet a new opportunity to love, > to wish peace and hope, to remember a loved one, but > most of all, to give of oneself? > > May the healing and hopeful power of love be found in > you and yours on Christmas Day and every day. > > John > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. > http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail > > > ==== NYMADISO Mailing List ==== > To post to this list - send email from the address you subsribed to the list with to this address - NYMadiso-L@rootsweb.com > >