A Holiday Message (and a few tangents)
One of the best things about being 63 years old is the many holiday memories that come to mind this time of year. All the wonderful Thanksgivings at my Uncle Jim’s and Aunt Begie’s home with all the family. The Christmas mornings with my brother Bill and sister Jill. Stringing popcorn and cranberries with my mom while my dad poked the fire to keep the logs aglow. Ringo, our Fox Terrier, sniffing at the packages around the tree, trying to figure out which one housed his savory something. The 30 days from Thanksgiving to Christmas are a snapshot in time documented in our many, many photo ablumns. And then the kids grow up. People pass and things change. Memories are all we have. That’s the hard part of being 63. But time marches on. It’s time to create new memories, new traditions based on past experiences and a few new twists. I am a new grampy and this Christmas my grandson Jackson will be a year and a half old. I just cant bring myself to say 18 months. If that’s how we define age, then I am 756 months old. Let me check the book to see what level of development I should be at. Hmmmm. Looks like I should be losing my hearing, my dexterity, my ability to control my bladder and forgetting where I put the car keys. Well, that’s nonsense. 63 is the new 25. I can still swing a golf club and mow my own grass. I cook and clean and do my own laundry. And even though I do turn the volume up on the tv, I can still find the remote and change my own channels. Thanksgivings aren’t the big spectacle they used to be. In fact we are going to a movie this year on Thanksgiving and having our big meal on Saturday. With a grandson in the holiday mix, we have two families vying for the little man to put atop the pedestal. At 63 I have learned to be flexible. In life, not really in a yoga sense. But I am doing physical therapy exercises for my chronic arm pain. I am rehabilitating my extensor, flexor and bicep. I think I injured myself trying to capture one of the cats who was trying to sneak into our bedroom or I hurt myself while playing too much Golden Tee. There I go again, off on a 63-year-old’s tangent. We will create a flexible holiday schedule so everyone can enjoy the festivities without the stress. There will be gifts and food and fun and love, plenty of love. And while I am talking about gifts. I want to encourage you to “shop local”. As an independent local business owner, I know how important it is to get and give the support for local businesses, shops and stores. Small business is the backbone of our society and our economy. The old days of the big corporations offering long term employment security is gone. Small business has become the torch bearer of economic recovery. These are your neighbors, your friends, your relatives and the people who will smile and say “Merry Christmas” and mean it! We need to support those local shopkeepers who help make the holidays a time to remember. And pay particular interest to gifts which are handmade, fair trade, natural, healthy, recycled or upcycled. I can promise, your heart will feel warmer when you shop and buy local this holiday season.
I want to wish all of you Healthy Planet readers a Healthy and Happy Holidays! We appreciate your readership and ongoing support of our advertisers and the professionals who write the stories we provide each month. Publishing our magazine is truly a labor of love and an ongoing commitment to helping our readers find the resources they need to create healthier and greener lives for themselves, their families and their communities. With your support, the presses will continue to run.
In Good Health, J.B. Lester; Publisher