Now That I've Had My WHINE and Cheese!

'WINTER'
a poem by
Abigail Elizabeth McIntyre

SHIT...It's Cold!

The End

Well, that post on winter was rather depressing, eh? We all have days... sometimes LOTS of them... during which we feel that way... Just kind of lost. I know I'm not alone in that. Why did I post something that whiny? Maybe so that someone else would feel a connection and understand. It's "normal" for people to get to that place now and then. Damn! Did I just use the "N" word??? LOL

It's a full moon, so I couldn't sleep but my brain has yet to engage, so let's just say I'll build on this post. Good Morning, boys and girls! Waaaaaaake up!!!

And here's a neat article to keep you busy for a bit while I put my brain back in: Full Moon Now, where did I leave that brain jar???

Don't you just HATE it when you have your own personal pity party??? Yikes! It makes me nuts. (Yea, yea, yea. I know. Too late.) Once it's over and done, I always wonder where that came from. Boredom and a desire to find that "something special" that's always featured in prose and songs, I suppose. I think we set ourselves up for that one on a regular basis.

So... Tis the season, boys and girls. Christmas, Hanukkah, Saturnalia, Kwanzaa... Hell, Howling at the Moon in the Depths of Winter... whatever you celebrate. It seems we all celebrate something at this time of year. Some primeval sense of "Hey, I'm surviving", perhaps? It's GOOD to come together, whatever the reason.

Saturnalia is the Winter Solstice. The longest night of the year. Since the dawn of humankind, it has been celebrated as the death of the old and rebirth of the new. The tradition that modern civilization partakes of on New Year's is appropriate during the Yule season as well. What better time to come together with those near and dear to us? To touch and reaffirm?

It's also a good time to do a little self-evaluation.

A friend of a friend has this expression that she uses whenever she gets the urge to cut the clutter. She calls it "de-shitting". Maybe this year, we can de-shit our lives? Cut away the crap that bogs us down and free up some personal space for those things that are really important, home and family (this includes our "chosen family" as well).

It sure sounds good on paper, doesn't it? Let's think about it...

Take this holiday season. How many of us get so wrapped up (hehe) in the holiday season that stress becomes our middle name? Now I ask you... WHY? It's like we're in this competition to get the newest and best for EVERYONE. That typically translates into "expensive".

Okay... this opinion doesn't count for the littles on our lists... well, maybe to a certain extent it does, because we go waaaaaaaaay overboard with them as well.

Gift-giving is supposed to be a joy, a mark to show we care, that someone is in our thoughts... It's a physical reminder of a bond. The price tag is NOT a gauge of that affection. So, why are freaking cars advertised as the perfect gift? I'd severely throttle anyone who gave a vehicle as a present!

It's time to rethink this strategy, to cut it back to a more reasonable possibility. My parents' generation didn't spend big bucks like we do today. One gift (except for the kiddies) for a few select individuals or a family as a whole and you were done. Wow... Just think of the breathing room that would leave, much less the pressure on ye olde credit card.

And I can't tell you how many homes with children have the appearance of a toy store explosion at this time of the year! Those "poor" babies don't know which way to turn or what to play with simply because there are so many choices. People! Less is more, particularly in this example. Let them have a few well-chosen things to treasure. Quality not quantity.

Turn back the hands of time. Especially now when we're all feeling something of a monetary pinch. Pare down that list. Lower how much you're willing to spend. Hell, let's go back to the handmade present. Or chocolate... Y'all can give me lots and lots of good dark rich... What was I saying??? Oh, yea... Lists. LOL

So in this season of commercialism, I give you something without price yet overflowing with all I am. I send to you all my deepest wishes for love and home... for a heart that knows its worth... for time to enjoy those things special to us... but most of all, for peace.

Happy Holidays!

Girlfriends...

More often lately, I seem to be getting e-mails that truly touch me, either in the funny bone or the heart... This is one I just received that reminds me of all of my Sisters:

GIRLS IN MY CIRCLE
When I was little,
I used to believe in the concept of one best friend,
And then I started to become a woman.
And then I found out that if you allow your heart to open up,
God would show you the best in many friends.
One friend is needed when you're going through things with your man.
Another friend is needed when you're going through things with your mom
Another will sit beside you in the bleachers as you delight in your children and their activities.
Another when you want to shop, share, heal, hurt, joke, or just be.
One friend will say, 'Let's cry together,'
Another , 'Let's fight together,'
Another , 'Let's walk away together.'
One friend will meet your spiritual need,
Another your shoe fetish,
Another your love for movies,
Another will be with you in your season of confusion,
Another will be your clarifier,
Another the wind beneath your wings.
But whatever their assignment in your life,
On whatever the occasion,
On whatever the day,
Or wherever you need them to meet you with their gym shoes on and hair pulled back,
Or to hold you back from making a complete fool of yourself ...
Those are your best friends.
It may all be wrapped up in one woman,
But for many, it's wrapped up in several..
One from 7 th grade,
One from high school,
Several from the college years,
a couple from old jobs,
On some days your mother,
On some days your neighbor,
On others, your sisters,
And on some days, your daughters.
So whether they've been your friend for 20 minutes or 20 years,
AND ONLY IF YOU'D LIKE TO,
Pass this on to the women that God has placed in your life
To make a difference.

Love, Friendship, and All of That Messy Stuff

It's funny to me that when we talk about love, we always relate it to fire. Why is that? Think about the four elements... earth, air, fire, water.

Should we relate it to air, it becomes something ethereal, intangible, which it is. Air is a thing one cannot hold or touch, yet it caresses us in its passing. It can be weak or strong, cool or hot. Yet it is life and breath. It is the soft caress, the glance that is here then gone. It is uncontrollable. Sounds a bit like love, eh?

Then there's water. We cannot survive without water, even if we have air. Scientifically, it is the largest part of what we are. Philosophers throughout the ages have pondered the influence that it has on us in relation to the earth and moon. It ebbs and flows, can nurture, crush, and even destroy. It is the excited babble of voices, the tickle of laughter, the rush and swell of emotion. Sounds a lot like love as well.

We choose fire. Why? Fire is powerful and entrancing, yes. But it needs to be constantly fed or it dies. It consumes completely, leaving nothing but ash in its wake. While it burns, it is a thing of beauty and we are drawn to it... like love. It can warm us in the coldest nights, light our way through the dark... But if not contained, it destroys. Don't believe I want that kind of love!

I think I would choose love as earth. Earth is strength. It is home. It is the constant in our lives. We can ignore it, still it endures. When we nurture it, it thrives. THAT is how I feel we need to go into our relationships. However, if we feed it with our castoffs and poison it through our carelessness, it withers and eventually dies. 

We scatter the seeds (hopefully) of our smiles and laughter, nods and greetings throughout our days. If those actions are nurtured and passed on, the wildflowers bring a bit of beauty to our world. But, now and again, we find the seed of something bigger, stronger... perhaps an acorn.

In the beginning, that acorn presents us with a small tender plant that needs to be protected and nurtured. Its fragility is palpable. So we shelter it and prevent it from being taken over by the wildflowers around it. And it grows.

Soon enough, it becomes a sapling... not quite as tender. Winds buffet it, yet it bends without breaking. Floods come and it remains standing due to its flexibility. Fires rage and new growth appears. Over time, though, it becomes a titan of the forest, a king among kings. It provides shelter for the seedlings beneath it. Animals look to it for sanctuary or even as a home. Its dignity and strength are unquestionable. It has become a thing that only the strongest of natural hazards can possibly topple.

THAT is what love can be.

When we search for love, we always want that spark that will ignite the flame within us. I once did that as well... got burned, too! LOL Then I modified my search and instead looked for my own sanctuary, someone who would always have my back. 

Long relationships aren't always easy... They have too many attributes of water and air... and they should! A nice little bonfire now and then is a good thing as well, as long as there is the balance of the rest. The bonfires within a relationship keep things interesting. Fighting can clear the air and passion at the right times is awesome, but neither is the stuff that provides continuity.

Relationships ebb and flow. That's a fact. And GOOD friends and TRUE love can withstand that. People who really know and respect you will understand when there's a need to withdraw or flow in a different direction for a while. And a life partner should know when to become a friend instead. Because friendship can keep a relationship going whenever the passions are banked... a fire can't burn constantly as it requires too much fuel.

I call those with a constant need for the fire, leeches. Think about it. I've seen beautiful relationships with a love so intense that I almost become jealous, but they feed on one another until there's nothing else left. There's no room for anyone or anything else. They nourish and sustain one another. BUT if that passion isn't on an equal basis, one will devour the other... There is a need somewhere in there that has to be constantly fed, that cannot allow one to operate as an individual. It becomes a co-dependency rather than two healthy individuals who are meeting on equal feet. And when one of them dies... there is simply nothing left but the past... Heartbreaking.

Abiding love is peace, whether it's with a partner or friend. It's the comfortable silences and a hand to hold. It encourages strength and growth. It is complete trust. Love encourages us to shine or to stand aside while the other does. It encourages dreams to chase. It stands strong when challenged, yet is awesome in those quiet shared moments. It is wisdom and silence, harsh truths and support, pride in achievements and a shelter in which to hide. It is the everything of who we are since, in order to truly love another, we must first love ourselves.

A true life mate and forever friends may not always be there for the little problems, but let something shattering happen and an amazing thing occurs. It kind of reminds me of the old western tactic of the circling wagons. When we are loved, we become enfolded within both those real and metaphorical arms. We find a place to heal. It is such a soothing place to exist that sometimes it's hard to leave and stand strong again. But we do because we are each meant to be singular and unique.

So, save me the high maintenance. I have no desire for the relationship built entirely of fire, regardless of how beautiful it can be. Give me earth with a touch of water and air... maybe a little bonfire or two, but that's about it. I want all of this to last the rest of my life!

May you find your home.