Christmas-Eve Day

In this episode - Christmas-Eve Day . . .

When was the last time your neighbors surprised you? Ours did this past weekend. One young family who passes by our home every day around 5:00 p.m. came to our door, dressed in red, (the little guy peeked in our window) holding a tray of Christmas treats.

“You did get Snoopy up for the Holidays, we love Snoopy, thank you.”

“Merry Christmas,” he said while extending his platter wrapped in foil.

This reminded me of a Holiday poem we recorded to share with our family. We want to share it with you - enjoy.

Christmas-Eve Day . . .

“Twas the day before Christmas," and all through our house,

The kitties were stirring, in search of their mouse.

With Missy on guard, and Junior prowling ‘round. We were watching TV, not making a sound.

The stockings were hung on the mantel with care,

In hopes that Junior would not go on a tear.

Filled with ornaments and lights, to brighten the season,

Our house was all warmed . . . 'gainst the chill was the reason.

Mother was nestled all snug in her chair,

While the TV was blaring with holiday fare.

Me in my sweater, with Junior in lap,

Had just settled in for an afternoon nap.

Sunlight caressed the freshly mown lawn,

Gave a warmth to the day,

as dog-walkers trudged on.

Then the doorbell rang, there arose such a clatter,

Junior sprang from my lap to see what was the matter.

Away to the window, he flew like a flash,

Tore open my leg, while Missy chewed on the sash.

When what to my wandering eyes should appear,

But gift-bearing neighbors, with sweet Christmas cheer.

Their mother was jolly, so lively and quick, I knew in an instant it wasn't St. Nick.

Up to the door, the young family came.

With a card and a package, she called us by name - "Where's Patrick, where's Lori we have a gift!" she exclaimed.

They were dressed all in red from their head to their toes,

And the smiles they wore set their faces aglow.

A bright red platter in the little girls' hand,

Was extended with joy, that was part of the plan.

Perched on the window and balanced with care,

The kitties just watched but tried not to stare.

Fresh cookies and tea, A right jolly old snack,

I looked like a peddler adding gifts to my stack.

As the neighbor’s departed we heard them say,

“Happy Christmas to all,” . . . And have a Great Day.

My hope is this tiny gift is a reminder to reconnect families and carry forth the spirit of giving. To nurture friendships and appreciate others.

May you be blessed this holiday season.

I'm Patrick Ball, thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Updated: 12/10/2021

Comments

Epictetus, Ego, and Acronyms

In this episode, Destroy Communication, One Three-Letter Acronym at a Time This week, I want to explore a deeply relatable, universally feared workplace character: the "know-it-all." Now, I’m not pointing fingers here. If we are being completely honest, we have all played this role. We've all uttered some version of, "Yes, absolutely, that aligns with our strategic objectives," while our internal monologue is screaming, "I don't even know what the objective is, let alone the strategy." What got me thinking about this was a chapter in Ryan Holiday's book, Wisdom Takes Work . Holiday leans on a powerful piece of Stoic truth from the ancient philosopher Epictetus: "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." It's a brilliant quote that strikes right at the heart of the human ego. You can't learn what you already know, and you certainly can't learn what you pretend to know to save face. Though to be ...

Breaking the Script

In this episode, The Art of the Short-Circuit. We spend a surprising amount of our lives on conversational autopilot. You see it everywhere. At the hardware store. At the post office. In office hallways, where two people can exchange greetings, discuss the weather, and continue on their way without either one actually hearing what the other said. "How are you?” "Good. You?” “Busy." “Yep." It's less of a conversation and more of a system check. Most of us aren't being rude. We're just moving fast. We have emails to answer, meetings to attend, errands to run, and a hundred other things competing for our attention. Before long, our interactions become little more than verbal lane markers helping us navigate the day. I like to break the script. When I run into someone, instead of the usual greetings, I'll ask: "What's the good word?” The reaction is almost always worth it. You can practically see the gears stop turning. People pause. They blink....

The Yellow Legal Pad

In this episode, the Art of Refiring July 1st is staring me in the face, less than two weeks away. For years, retirement seemed like something that happened to other people. Suddenly, it's on my calendar. I've been thinking a lot about the dreaded "R-word" lately. Not because I'm worried about having enough to do. Quite the opposite. What fascinates me is this strange paradox: Why does retirement make so many of us nervous, while having a job—even one that regularly drives us crazy—somehow feels comforting? Let's be honest. Most of us spend years complaining about meetings that should have been emails, reply-all disasters, impossible deadlines, and that one coworker who insists on microwaving leftover fish in the breakroom. Yet when the idea of walking away finally arrives, we hesitate. I think I've figured out why. A career isn't just a job. It's a highly structured coping mechanism. For forty-plus years, somebody else has basically decided what I...

The Big Rip and the First Tee

The telescope (Celestron) sits quietly under its cover, temporarily blinded by Southern California's annual meteorological hostage situation – June Gloom. Somewhere above that thick gray ceiling, photons that began their journey before humans appeared are streaming across the cosmos, only to be intercepted by a marine layer that seems to have veto power over astronomy. Instead of observing the universe, I find myself imagining – The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by physicist Katie Mack. According to modern cosmology, the universe may eventually end in a Big Rip, a Big Crunch, Heat Death, Vacuum Decay, or some other catastrophe that sounds suspiciously like a rejected heavy-metal album title. Astrophysicists spend their careers calmly discussing the possibility that reality itself could suddenly cease to exist because a quantum field had a bad day. It's a remarkable way to start a Saturday morning. One moment you're contemplating the ultimate fate of spacetime...

On The Fly

Search This Blog