ANNA MONICA / L’Observateur / December 22, 1999

A holiday person I most definitely am not. I just prefer life when it ispretty normal, not rushed or hectic or stressed. Nonetheless, this gigantic,extravagant and nerve-racking season is here, and sometimes I can enjoy some of the activity. Looking at house decorations during Christmas issomething I like to do, although I am far too lazy to put up a tree or get more than a few things down from the attic. Usually I buy a fewpoinsettias to place around the house, put my Christmas train in the yard outside and settle back to watch and enjoy the beauty everybody else creates.

Everyone on my gift list gets either money or gift certificates, so I don’t do much shopping. I do, though, have a big wish every Christmas. I wish wecould get back to old fashion traditions like baking fruit cake (my sister Phyllis makes a great one) and cookies, making home-gifts of jelly or needlework or something like that. Even more than that, I wish we couldfind or take time to visit friends and let them know we care while keeping that loving Christmas spirit in our hearts.

With the help of my mom, the most seasoned Italian cookie maker of them all after 50 St. Joseph Altars, my Italian cookies got made and that iswhat I like to give away each Christmas. I was running out of timebecause I needed to get ready for my little trip. When you read this, Ishould be coming back from Miami. My friend, Dana Troxclair of Gramercy,who will soon be finishing medical school, has been doing a rotation there in pathology and wanted me to fly down to drive back here with her. Weplanned to visit the Keys, so I can tell you about that later. Meanwhile, ithas been push and shove because there is always so much that needs to be done during holiday season.

You know, as the holidays come and go most of us can reflect on the good ones and those that weren’t so good. My own family has experienced thoseextremes. We have had Christmases that were like an ideal all-Americanfamily time with everyone, down to the last grandchild, being together and spending the entire day enjoying the company of each other. And we haveknown tragic loss at Christmas in burying a loved one. It has never beeneasy to adjust to the empty places at the holiday table. But we do go on,and that is what we all must do. Keeping the real meaning of the seasonalive in our hearts certainly can help.

Locally, this has been a difficult year for many of us, and even though we cannot necessarily have that “perfect” holiday we sometimes anticipate, we can look at all the positives we have in our lives. It is important thatour children have good Christmas memories because all too soon they will be grown up with grown-up cares.

So, dear readers, have a wonderful holiday season. If you are Christian,Merry Christmas, and if you are of another religious affiliation or have none, I wish you a special joy at this time of year. I especially wish forall of us this holiday season the greatest gift of all, which is peace.

May you have peace of mind, peace in your families, peace in your hearts and a peace on earth – one that must start with me, and you.

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