The Holidays & Old Friends
The Holidays are a time for celebrating with good friends and family. Even though the weather outside might be frightful, good friends are so delightful. Nothing warms your heart more than a trusted old friend. And that brings me to my my warmest old friend Charlie. Charlie is always there for me when I need a warm hug. He comforts me when life’s chills happen upon me. He is always near when I need his comfort. I trust Charlie to provide me with the strength I need to make it through even the frostiest of times. He is always close to my heart. You see, Charlie is my favorite sweater. I named him Charlie because of the zig-zag design on the front like Charlie Brown. He may not be the most stylish, or the most custom fit friend a person can have, but to me he’s my “go to” pullover. My family often snubs Charlie and calls him “ugly” and “ridiculous.” But Charlie and I have been BFs for more than twenty years now. We have weathered many tempests on the golf course and Charlie even kept me warm while I snowshoed high in the Colorado Rockies. My daughters have even gone so far as to try and hide Charlie from me. But I always manage to rescue him from the donation bag. I replace Charlie with another sweater in the donation bag so someone in need does not go cold and I still have my comfy comrade. Hey, this friendship didn’t start out so great. When I first got Charlie for Christmas over two decades ago as a gift from my sister-in-law, he was pretty tight and itchy. I wasn’t sure we would be a good match. Wool sweaters tend to need some breaking in. But today Charlie fits like the final puzzle piece. In fact I have him on right now while I write this column. I am sure all of you have a trusted and somewhat outdated piece of clothing that you would never part with. A pair of shoes, an old scarf or a favorite t-shirt. And I won’t even begin to go through your sock drawer and start throwing out all those ancient argyles. The fact is, we keep those who mean the most to us closest to our hearts no matter what others say. As long as I need warmth and comfort, this old friend will be by my side, especially during the chilly holidays while I hold my grandson Jackson in my arms for his first Christmas …. with Charlie.
I want to welcome our new cartoonist, Phil Berwick to the Healthy Planet. Phil’s cartoon “Merferd & The Treetoons” will appear each month on the inside back cover for everyone to enjoy. Phil is an arborist and president of Living Tree Care. He is a local artist whose love for trees rivals only his love of cartooning. He hopes to get syndicated someday, one strip at a time.
Happy Holidays from everyone at
The Healthy Planet, Charlie, too!
J.B. Lester; Publisher