Conversation – 17

@sheba2011

It has been a rough week. I’m looking forward to putting my feet up and getting some work done on the house. Our appointment with the physician went well. I am concerned with the heart and another situation. His kidneys are not functioning well. He also is not drinking enough fluids. Whether that is the reason for the problem is anyone’s guess. We did cancel the physical therapy for Wednesday. The A/C people were here Monday for the duct work. Tuesday was the doctor and I managed somehow to miss the turn for the parking lot and ended up in the next town. I found the way back OK, but had to go up a one way street and then figure on how to be on the correct road. I did figure it out and believe it or not we were on time for the appointment. Both of us were exhausted and when we arrived home, had a quick lunch and went to our comfort areas. I cancelled Wednesday’s appointment which gave me a couple of days of relaxation. Today we kept the appointment for physical therapy. For some reason, hubby kept playing with the door latch inside the car. He was like a little kid moving the latch back and forth. Then the buzzer went off as well as a triangle inside the van. Noticed the red light that showed all four doors were opened. Found a gas station that was no more and got everything working again. Yelled at him for playing with the latch and don’t ask how, but arrived at the physical therapy fifteen minutes early. He was done within an hour and then drove to the Farmer’s Market. Hubby stayed in the car and I went shopping. Native tomatoes were in along with cukes and of course oranges and grapefruits. Saw the dragon fruit, but they were overly ripe, so left them for another day.

Weather here is absolutely gorgeous. Mid seventies with lots of sun and feathery clouds. Cannot believe winter is just a few short weeks away. Oh, yes, finally saw some maple trees with beautiful shades of reds, yellows and oranges. So I guess, Florida, has some color after all. Well, this has been my day. Think I’ll go put my two feet up and rest for awhile. See ya in Trivia. I’m setting an alarm so I won’t be late.

@Sheba
A Good Afternoon to you Sheba, and Happy Friday. How are you today? I know how you feel, it’s the time of the year we all miss our loved ones.
Yes its Trivia tonight and looking forward to seeing you and Oodiebom there. Oodiebom has not posted in three days, I hope all is well. I know there’s lots happening with them to keep Odie busy.
That is a lovely piece of pie, no calories right?😜 I wish a great weekend for you and your hubby.
See you tonight Sheba.

I love this Christmas story and I do post this every year. ✨

Papa Panov’s Special Christmas
by Leo Tolstoy

This wonderful Christmas story is great to read with children. It was translated into English by Leo Tolstoy. The original story was written in French by Ruben Saillens and demonstrates the virtues of kindness and compassion. It is based on a verse from the Bible, Matthew 25:35:
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me..”

It was Christmas Eve and although it was still afternoon, lights had begun to appear in the shops and houses of the little Russian village, for the short winter day was nearly over. Excited children scurried indoors and now only muffled sounds of chatter and laughter escaped from closed shutters.

Old Papa Panov, the village shoemaker, stepped outside his shop to take one last look around. The sounds of happiness, the bright lights and the faint but delicious smells of Christmas cooking reminded him of past Christmas times when his wife had still been alive and his own children little. Now they had gone. His usually cheerful face, with the little laughter wrinkles behind the round steel spectacles, looked sad now. But he went back indoors with a firm step, put up the shutters and set a pot of coffee to heat on the charcoal stove. Then, with a sigh, he settled in his big armchair.

Papa Panov did not often read, but tonight he pulled down the big old family Bible and, slowly tracing the lines with one forefinger, he read again the Christmas story. He read how Mary and Joseph, tired by their journey to Bethlehem, found no room for them at the inn, so that Mary’s little baby was born in the cowshed.

“Oh, dear, oh, dear!” exclaimed Papa Panov, “if only they had come here! I would have given them my bed and I could have covered the baby with my patchwork quilt to keep him warm.”

He read on about the wise men who had come to see the baby Jesus, bringing him splendid gifts. Papa Panov’s face fell. “I have no gift that I could give him,” he thought sadly.

Then his face brightened. He put down the Bible, got up and stretched his long arms t the shelf high up in his little room. He took down a small, dusty box and opened it. Inside was a perfect pair of tiny leather shoes. Papa Panov smiled with satisfaction. Yes, they were as good as he had remembered — the best shoes he had ever made. “I should give him those,” he decided, as he gently put them away and sat down again.

He was feeling tired now, and the further he read the sleepier he became. The print began to dance before his eyes so that he closed them, just for a minute. In no time at all Papa Panov was fast asleep.

And as he slept he dreamed. He dreamed that someone was in his room and he knew at once, as one does in dreams, who the person was. It was Jesus.

“You have been wishing that you could see me, Papa Panov.” he said kindly, “then look for me tomorrow. It will be Christmas Day and I will visit you. But look carefully, for I shall not tell you who I am.”

When at last Papa Panov awoke, the bells were ringing out and a thin light was filtering through the shutters. “Bless my soul!” said Papa Panov. “It’s Christmas Day!”

He stood up and stretched himself for he was rather stiff. Then his face filled with happiness as he remembered his dream. This would be a very special Christmas after all, for Jesus was coming to visit him. How would he look? Would he be a little baby, as at that first Christmas? Would he be a grown man, a carpenter — or the great King that he is, God’s Son? He must watch carefully the whole day through so that he recognized him however he came.

Papa Panov put on a special pot of coffee for his Christmas breakfast, took down the shutters and looked out of the window. The street was deserted, no one was stirring yet. No one except the road sweeper. He looked as miserable and dirty as ever, and well he might! Whoever wanted to work on Christmas Day — and in the raw cold and bitter freezing mist of such a morning?

Papa Panov opened the shop door, letting in a thin stream of cold air. “Come in!” he shouted across the street cheerily. “Come in and have some hot coffee to keep out the cold!”

The sweeper looked up, scarcely able to believe his ears. He was only too glad to put down his broom and come into the warm room. His old clothes steamed gently in the heat of the stove and he clasped both red hands round the comforting warm mug as he drank.

Papa Panov watched him with satisfaction, but every now and them his eyes strayed to the window. It would never do to miss his special visitor.

“Expecting someone?” the sweeper asked at last. So Papa Panov told him about his dream.

“Well, I hope he comes,” the sweeper said, “you’ve given me a bit of Christmas cheer I never expected to have. I’d say you deserve to have your dream come true.” And he actually smiled.

When he had gone, Papa Panov put on cabbage soup for his dinner, then went to the door again, scanning the street. He saw no one. But he was mistaken. Someone was coming.

The girl walked so slowly and quietly, hugging the walls of shops and houses, that it was a while before he noticed her. She looked very tired and she was carrying something. As she drew nearer he could see that it was a baby, wrapped in a thin shawl. There was such sadness in her face and in the pinched little face of the baby, that Papa Panov’s heart went out to them.

“Won’t you come in,” he called, stepping outside to meet them. “You both need a warm seat by the fire and a rest.”

The young mother let him shepherd her indoors and to the comfort of the armchair. She gave a big sigh of relief.

“I’ll warm some milk for the baby,” Papa Panov said, “I’ve had children of my own — I can feed her for you.” He took the milk from the stove and carefully fed the baby from a spoon, warming her tiny feet by the stove at the same time.

“She needs shoes,” the cobbler said.

But the girl replied, “I can’t afford shoes, I’ve got no husband to bring home money. I’m on my way to the next village to get work.”

A sudden thought flashed through Papa Panov’s mind. He remembered the little shoes he had looked at last night. But he had been keeping those for Jesus. He looked again at the cold little feet and made up his mind.

“Try these on her,” he said, handing the baby and the shoes to the mother. The beautiful little shoes were a perfect fit. The girl smiled happily and the baby gurgled with pleasure.

“You have been so kind to us,” the girl said, when she got up with her baby to go. “May all your Christmas wishes come true!”

But Papa Panov was beginning to wonder if his very special Christmas wish would come true. Perhaps he had missed his visitor? He looked anxiously up and down the street. There were plenty of people about but they were all faces that he recognized. There were neighbors going to call on their families. They nodded and smiled and wished him Happy Christmas! Or beggars — and Papa Panov hurried indoors to fetch them hot soup and a generous hunk of bread, hurrying out again in case he missed the Important Stranger.

All too soon the winter dusk fell. When Papa Panov next went to the door and strained his eyes, he could no longer make out the passers-by. Most were home and indoors by now anyway. He walked slowly back into his room at last, put up the shutters, and sat down wearily in his armchair.

So it had been just a dream after all. Jesus had not come.

Then all at once he knew that he was no longer alone in the room.

This was not dream for he was wide awake. At first he seemed to see before his eyes the long stream of people who had come to him that day. He saw again the old road sweeper, the young mother and her baby and the beggars he had fed. As they passed, each whispered, “Didn’t you see me, Papa Panov?”

“Who are you?” he called out, bewildered.

Then another voice answered him. It was the voice from his dream — the voice of Jesus.

“I was hungry and you fed me,” he said. “I was naked and you clothed me. I was cold and you warmed me. I came to you today in everyone of those you helped and welcomed.”

Then all was quiet and still. Only the sound of the big clock ticking. A great peace and happiness seemed to fill the room, overflowing Papa Panov’s heart until he wanted to burst out singing and laughing and dancing with joy.

“So he did come after all!” was all that he said.

Apologies

If we can remember that our response to others is important, we can realize that trust and forgiveness go hand in hand.

In life there will always be times when we are affected by the actions of another person. When this happens, we often receive an apology. More often than not we say, “It’s alright,” or ” It’s okay,” and by saying this we are allowing, accepting, and giving permission for the behavior to happen again. When we say “thank you,” or “I accept your apology,” we are forced to sit in our feelings rather than ignore them.

There are many of us who feel that it is easier to brush off how we really feel than to express our discomfort with something that has happened to us. While this may initially seem like the best thing to do, what it really does is put us into an unending pattern of behavior; since we are not honest with another person, we continue the cycle of letting them overstep our emotional limits time and time again. By doing this we place ourselves in the position of victim. We can put an end to this karmic chain by first acknowledging to the other person that we accept their request for forgiveness; often a simple “thank you” is enough. To truly create a greater sense of harmony in our relationship, however, we need to gently, and with compassion, express our innermost concerns about what has transpired. By taking a deep breath and calling upon the deepest parts of our spirit, we can usually find the right words to say and verbalize them in a way that lets the other person recognize the consequences of what they have done.

If we can remember that our response to others is important, we can begin to realize that trust and forgiveness go hand in hand. And when we react in a way that engenders a greater amount of honesty and candor, we will establish a more positive and empowering way of being and interacting others. AMEN! ✨✨🌹

@kittengirl,

Good morning in California and may this day be a great one for you and your family.
Kitten Happy Holidays I know how you feel. ✨

I think your grandson could have maybe one slice for the holidays. ✨🌹

@shoelady60,

Good afternoon in the ‘burgh. 😘✨I am sending positive prayers for your family.
This is Mom Friday and I hope your sister is having a ball. 😘✨

If I were you I would just take it easy today. I am so glad your husband’s Tests are
alright one less thing to worry about.

Enjoy😎 Prayers up and please let me know how the family is doing. 🌹

@71flowerchild,

Howdy in Texas and Happy Holidays to you and yours. ✨😘Give the fur babies a nice
OZ pet.

@taci,

Good morning in S. California. ✨😘You are so funny I like how you said you were
not cooking. 😜🤣 I have days like that too.

Thank you all these years for your support concerning my sister. I am so happy for her
and my mother is very happy. Taci like Cali my family in the State of Colorado have the
new variant sweet lord why? I appreciate your concerns with my family.

I know you miss your mother and my thoughts are with you. ✨😘🌹

Happy Trails To You. 🎶🎶If you ate some of the cheesecake above you could walk
that off in one afternoon. 😎

@oodiebom,

Good morning on the Gulf Coast. ✨😎 Oodie I know your hands are full just take
your time. I hope you are feeling well and if hubby have an appt. I hope all goes well.

Oodie were you able to get his meds for his knees? I hope you were able to change your
Mammo appt. and so it goes.

Hey tonight is Trivia and I want to say Happy Hanukkah. 🌹

“Hanukkah sameach!”

See ya later in Trivia. ✨

@xango,

Look no calories. 😜🤣 Wishing you a great day in Florida if the time is right for us
I will see you in Trivia tonight. ✨😘

I see your Christmas projects are coming up and I have a lot of them it’s not over yet. ✨😎

@taci,

Yep I was reading something online in the news and I was having a moment. 😜😎

@defg,

Good morning in Maryland. I want to thank you for your shout out on my medical test. ✨
It has been a battle in the age of this Pandemic I feel cancer is a battle in any age or time.

I am keeping it moving forward. Happy Holidays to you and your family. ✨✨

Have a fun weekend with your family. 🌹

@iamashortdiva,

Good morning in NC may you have a wonderful weekend. ✨✨🌹

Happy Holidays. ✨✨

@loaf,

Happy Holidays and you are missed on this thread as you were my first friend to post. ✨😘
I miss hearing about your kids and how much you love Renée Zellweger in Bridget Jones
Diary Movies. 😎

Stay well and safe my friend until you post again.😘✨

I hope all is well in the Rock and Roll Capital. 😘✨

Enjoy! ✨✨