A Very Special Christmas List

Mary Rose McGill’s nose was almost touching the yellow legal pad on the table in front of her. The Retro pen Wiley had given her from The Bookworm, her favorite store, was clutched tight in her hand.

“What’s she doing?” Robbie asked as she, Hadley, and Marge walked into Meadow Lake’s new coffee shop. Alphonso had remodeled two rooms on the main floor into a cozy, welcoming coffee shop called The Nest.

Hadley went to the big coffee machine, pushed the right buttons, and created a large, fragrant latte. Marge grabbed four donuts from the box on the counter and pushed the button from a large coffee, black.

Mary Rose’s coffee had grown cold and noticing this, Robbie pushed buttons and then carried two coffees to Mary Rose’s table.

“Making a Christmas List,” Mary Rose murmured.

Marge peered down into what Mary Rose had written. “That is a very different Christmas list,” she said, looking up at her friends.

“What have you got so far?” Robbie asked.

Mary Rose lifted her yellow pad and began to read.

“1. Life isn’t fair but so what? It’s still good. Enjoy it.

2. You don’t have to win every argument. Just always be true to yourself.

3. Nobody likes a grump or complainer so don’t be one.

4. Make people feel important whenever you can.”

5. Cry when you need to cry and do it with someone whenever you can. Crying together helps. That’s all I have.” And she put the paper back on the table.

“I have one,” Robbie said

6. Make peace with your past so you don’t screw up your present.”

“I have one, too,” Hadley said.

“7. It’s all right for your children and friends to see you cry. I like the one you picked to cry with someone and cry when you need to.”

Marg smiled. “How’s this one for 8?”

8. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is hopeless.”

They laughed.

9.“Don’t be a food police,” Robbie added, taking a bite of her donut, “Every so often eat what you want to eat. We’re all going to die anyway.

“Makes it all the more important for your number 1,” Hadley said, looking at Mary Rose.

“Enjoy life. It’s short!”

10. “Don’t worry what other people think,” Marge said. “Other people aren’t worrying at all about what you do or think. Be yourself. Be loud! Be proud!”

“That’s more than one,” Hadley laughed.

“I’ve stopped numbering them,” Mary Rose smiled. “What I want for Christmas is what we all have. We are aging with Grace, Humor, Courage, and Confidence and we are being the strong, wild women we were meant to be.”

“I am as eccentric as I want to be,” Hadley added.

“I am in charge of my life, no matter what happens,” Marge added. “I am in charge of my own happiness!” Mary Rose said.

“That’s an even better way to put it,” Marge said, patting Hadley’s hand, because sometimes we aren’t in charge of what happens.

“And that goes back to the one I like best,” Robbie said lifting her cup to salute her friends, “It is what it is: it becomes what you make of it.”

“I make of it a life of gratitude,” Hadley said and, they clicked their coffee cups, which were still filled with good, rich warm coffee.

Grace Humor Courage Confidence

A Note from Joy

This holiday season, I have more to add to Mary Rose’s list:

I have a big sign in our apartment. It reads:

There are only two ways to live life.

One is to believe that nothing is a miracle.

The other is to believe that everything is a miracle.

Believe in miracles.

Believe there are signs for you everywhere if you look for them.

A little sign over our toilet says,

“If you’re looking for a sign.

This is it.”

Be grateful for what you have and the life you have had and are having now. Every night as you go to sleep, list at least ten things for which you are grateful for this day. And remember the little things. Today I laughed with Peg, and Judy, and Ted laughed and scared me as I was getting dressed, and I giggled and Liz gave us little bags of her wonderful chocolate, and the Eagles won the football game, and we found a funny Eagles shirt to order for a son-in-law we love, and we get pizza for dinner tonight, and I only had to take two Tylenol today and……….there are so many beautiful ‘ands’ that I could go on to the bottom of this page.

AND I love you all.

AND Consider yourself hugged.

HOLLY HAPPY DAYS!