It’s begun.
The thick, glossy catalogs are pouring in—some days, as many as five or six—and are my reminder (not that I needed one) that Christmas is two short months away.
The next eight weeks will fly by, of that I’m certain. Why, just yesterday it seemed like last week!
Well, in any case my children are very fond of all these catalogues.
I myself am not.
Recycle recycle recycle. I am feeling fed up with recycling, yet every day I do my duty. I wash the cans and rinse the plastic. I stack the newspapers and when the stacks are overflowing—which is every second day—I send one of the kids out to the garage with an armful. It is never-ending, I tell you!
Be that tirade as it may, however, the cost of paper and the inconvenience of recycling is not the point of this post. What prompted this post was the cover of one of the catalogs—a Fisher Price catalog, for the record—with a Fisher Price nativity scene softly lit and radiant.
Believe it or not, this cute, plastic depiction of our infant savior’s birth spoke to me. I was surprised by this, because normally the catalogs do not speak to me, other than to remind me that it’s almost time to shop for Christmas and that my already heaping plate of obligations is getting fuller.
This image gave me pause, though–mid-recycle, as it were. I was given, interiorly, a sense of peace and a reminder that “Jesus is the reason” behind it all.
Of course He is.
And I know this in theory but I realized then that I had not been living it. I have not been the light that I am called to be in Him; on the contrary, I’ve been a great big grumpy goose.
Even worse, I’ve been sad.
Yesterday was particularly hard in that I had a great big list of things to do but not a lot of energy with which to do them. My list was huge and frankly, it was most unfair of me to impose it upon the bright, unsuspecting day.
[I have a love/hate relationship with Saturdays.]
Still I plodded on, hoping at least to make a dent in the messy kitchen and perhaps even sort through the papers on my desk. Tired, pregnant mommies have a way of being comically ineffective, alas, and when my husband (ever the dynamo) noticed this he remarked, “You know, I can do those dishes. Why don’t you go take a nap?”
Reluctantly I conceded, and to my great wonder the world went on without me.
I woke two hours later, refreshed but still impatient. (Blame that darned “to-do” list!) I decided to return a batch of almost-overdue books to the library because it closed in an hour (blame that long nap of mine!) and I thought the fresh air might do me good.
Anne the Nice Librarian was working, to my great delight, and I sought her out to take care of an outstanding charge. (Ahem.) I deliberately picked Anne over Bill the Not So Nice Librarian, a thin older man who never seems to “get” me and who always gives a barely audible snort when attending to my delinquencies.
Well, what do you know? Anne the Nice Librarian was having an off day. She smiled to see me but was in a complaining mood…and I left the conversation feeling depleted.
I thought long and hard about this on the way home—about how greatly our attitudes affect those around us and how important it is to be cheerful, even when we don’t feel like it. This “being a light” business is demanding, isn’t it? Yet this past week the Holy Spirit made its importance known—through the Christmas toys on a catalog, the critical words on the lips of a librarian, and even (I’m getting the idea, Lord!) today’s meditation:
“The more important our duties, the more important is it that our attitude should be one of Christian joy. When we have responsibility for others, then we have a duty to communicate this joy. Such is the case with parents, priests, spiritual directors, teachers…
The smiling face of the Lord should shine through our life and works.”
(In Conversation with God, Vol. 5, Reading for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Have a beautiful, blessed, joyful Sunday!
Ad Jesum per Mariam,
nutmeg says
Thanks for this reminder as I head out the door on this beautiful Sunday to tick things off my “to do” list…. yes, on a Sunday, of all days.
But I will make an effort to smile and be a force of peace and comfort in this crazy world.
🙂
Lisa says
Yeah, boy. You’ve hit my nail on the head. The duties I do, but the joy is missing too often. It’s hard work working that up sometimes (and I totally sympathize with the difficulty of it esp when pregnant!). Too bad it’s not something easily bought in a catalogue. But, blessings can come from the inspiration of a catalogue, through the Holy Ghost, which is even better, huh? Thanks for the meditation, Margaret. Prayers for this pregnancy, this sweet life.
Jen says
My husband and I were having a similar conversation the other day because…what a shocker, I’m in a perpetually bad mood these days. He was telling me that it’s no surprise the kids have been mirroring this same grumpy-like attitude. It is so, so hard to smile when you want to pull your hair out. It’s so hard to be happy when you have so much to do, and not enough hours in the day to do it. I love that meditation at the end. Good luck to you! I’ll be praying for you. And remember, you’re making a baby…take it easy!
Joan says
I am the one taking a nap today Margaret. I am sick, sick, sick. Must have caught a germ from the kids at school. My energy level is zero, and I have an annoying tickly throat. There are a million things to do, but I have been on the couch since noon and don’t plan to get up any time soon. Give yourself some slack, the chores will always be there. Take Care of Yourself.
Jamie says
I didn’t have a crabby day, but a sad day, a overwhelming day. We should have called eachother!!
Hope you are bright and cheery today on this cold, blustery day!
scmom (Barbara) says
I think for mothers this is even more important. So the saying…if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.
Smile, babe!
joolzmac says
Hi Margaret
You just bought me down to earth again. 🙂
I have just finished tidying thru the house after a 2-day 15 year old Birthday party – 6 cherubs plus the birthday girl herself. All incapable of picking up/washing up/putting away anything. They all thanked me for having them but they didn’t lift a finger to help. My laundry is overflowing, the kitchen has just returned to normal, it’s 11am on Monday and I have to go to ‘work’ at our car dealership at 1pm (I have had the morning off – ha ha!)
Then it is home to take washing in, fold, put away, think of dinner, take B15 to basketball at 5.30pm, make dinner, clean up again between TV shows then fall into bed. Phew!
Glad to hear you are sneaking a nap here and there. Yes, the house will still be there when you wake up, along with everything else. Sweet day dreams,
Julie
Michelle Waters says
Yes, you’re so right on! I need to read that again tomorrow morning before the day begins around here. Being pregnant too – it really takes the motivation level down to about zero. But we still have to be lights!
T with Honey says
Great reminder.
Plus I, too, loved seeing that toy on the Fisher-Price catalog cover. It means the nativity toy is one of their most popular Christmas toys. That people are buying it for their children, remembering to keep Him in the celebration. And that this sales figure is keeping the politically correct holiday-neutral police at bay!