Party Crowd

~David Lee Murphy

Last night, Jackie and I got one of our Christmas presents. We both loved the same purse, so we now have matching purses. I love it, though! That was a very fun surprise.

Justin, Jackie, Adam, and I went out to eat. I was really surprised how empty the restaurant was. I expected it to be packed full, on a Saturday night, this close to Christmas. There was hardly anyone else in there, though. The waitress told us she thinks a lot of people are displaced by the tornado, and not spending their money going out to eat.

After we finished eating, we drove around awhile. We looked at Christmas lights around the city. We sang along to a bunch of old 90’s country songs.

When we got back home, we all played some games. Justin and Jackie didn’t end their night on a very good note, which made me sad. I won’t get into it, because it’s not really my place to discuss their business. We love them both, and I genuinely just want them to be happy. I’m hoping the light of a new day will help them to solve the issues they’re having. It’s the season of giving. It’s a time for joy, and making memories with your loved ones. I’m determined to make sure that everyone around me has an amazing Christmas. We’ve all had a lot of strain put on us, recently. It can be hard to overlook the stress and anxiety, but there is so much good all around us, if we can only slow down a little bit to take it in.

I’m working on some craft projects I’m making for everyone. I’ve got something for Justin, my brother, and my sister’s husband. They’re similar, but uniquely inspired. All three of those guys were/are military men. So, I’m making something they can hang on their wall to display their coins and ribbons and medals. I sure hope they like them. I’ve also got a wooden height chart, for Pj. We’ve measured her height on the same doorway we’ve kept track of our kids heights. I’m taking those measurements, from Pj, and putting them onto the height chart I’m making, to get it started. I’ve got several little things, like picture frames and personalized decorations, that I’ve made for people. I’m just about finished with everything. Then, it’s time to wrap all these gifts. We “adopted” a handful of children and teens to give Christmas gifts to, also. Mikayla’s friend will be with her family, for Christmas, but since she’s staying with us for a good while, we included her in that handful of kids to find gifts for. I love to give in secret. I prefer not to announce my involvement, when we do things like this. It’s more “magical”, for the receiver, I think. When you suddenly get an unexpected surprise, with no idea who it came from, I believe it helps to teach others to look for beauty and kindness in everyone around them. You never know then, which of the people around you had been your very own “secret Santa”. It could be your neighbor, your teacher, even the grumpy old man at the post office. So, you’re more likely to take a moment to smile, and to spread love. And, that’s a gift that lasts a lifetime.