Women’s History Month

March is set aside to give special recognition of the contributions made to the world by women throughout history. Celebrate, read about a list of extraordinary women like Bessie Blount Griffin, Valerie Thomas, Maria Tallchief and more.

A Christmas Story

The countdown begins. Gifts to buy, holiday events to attend, decorations. Yes, nothing says Christmas in the USA like people getting stressed out! I’m adding my voice to those who say we need to keep the focus on what this time of year really means. I have my own Christmas story.

I work downtown and walk for exercise on my breaks. One of my usual routes is the the historic neighborhood called Spanish Town. A sweet elderly lady would sometimes be in front of her adorable little cottage styled house tending her many plants. In true southern style we’d chitchat without even knowing each other’s name. One day she asked if I liked plants. I said, “Yes, ma’am”. She gave me a Christmas cactus and a hug. That was in the summer of 2013. She explained that it bloomed once a year around around Christmas, which is where the name comes from. I placed the plant in the window of my office and in mid November I was shocked at the lovely pink flowers. My new baby bloomed right into early January, which astonished my co-workers, some of whom had Christmas cacti of their own. I saw my new friend only a few times, she didn’t get out much. Later she told me she’d had a bad fall. I didn’t see her for a long time.

In September she passed away. I know because I saw her picture in the local paper and read her obituary. I didn’t remember her name, we’d only exchanged names that one time, but I remembered her sweet smile. Mrs. Clytice Cohoon was born in Arkansas, had been married for 59 years before her husband preceded her in death, and raised 4 kids while her career Army husband spent months away on deployment.

Last month I left for a long vacation to Peru. When I got back to work my cactus looked a lot less healthy. I was afraid it would live, much less bloom and that I’d lost a precious gift. Imagine my delight this week when I saw tiny buds! I think of the warmth of Miss Clytice’s smile and the true meaning of the words Christmas spirit.

So this year my countdown includes waiting for my Christmas cactus to bloom. I’ll have a wonderful tribute to a sweet friend I only knew a few months.

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day is a uniquely American holiday because of the tradition of its origin, a group of Pilgrims sitting down with Native Americans to give thanks for surviving a harsh world. The same can be said for all people, because though modern times are much different the world can still be a rough place. There is an African-American gospel song with the lyrics, “Everyday is a day of thanksgiving!” Enjoy the time with family, friends and great food on Thanksgiving Day. But let’s be grateful for every day that we have a chance to start new, get it right and make right what went wrong yesterday!

“Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.” Henry Van Dyke

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” Oprah Winfrey

“If you are really thankful, what do you do? You share.” W. Clement Stone

“The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest.” William Blake