Friday, December 24, 2010

Continued Prayers, Wishes, & Hopes

I pulled up my last-year wishes for you and found myself nodding my agreement as I read, finding that the sentiment and spirit are as strong today as when I wrote them one year ago.

My continued prayers, wishes, and hopes for you and yours...have a Blessed and Happy Holidays.

Another holiday season is upon us. For all the unbridled joy and excitement that surrounds us, however, there is an uneasiness within my core that seems to seed itself every year. I don't think I am alone.

I have seen enough heartache through the year to know that joy and excitement can be very temporary. Can you even imagine wrapping presents only to return them after the holiday season because of an untimely death, never having the chance to give them? Over the holiday season, especially, heartache seems to magnify itself into a swirling tornado ready to touch down on so many lives. I've seen a lot of energy spent outrunning that tornado.

So, for all the happiness, I still can't help but be reminded of how hard these upcoming days will be for so many. My heart goes out to them. Especially the children.

How do I remember the important things in my life? And not just over the holidays, but every day? I know I have been blessed in my life. When I think of these blessings, none of them have to do with material things but rather things that spiritually feed my soul. Companionship, loyalty, kindness, and love. And more love. These make me a better person.

So, in the spirit of this holiday season, I share just a few of my prayers, my wishes, and my hopes with you.

I pray for my family, my friends, and those in the world that are in need. I pray that my son remains in remission for another five years, and another five years after that. I pray that my mother can look down on my family and smile. I pray she knows the power of her prayers, asking a forgiving God to show my son mercy and take her in His arms instead when they were both battling their malignancies. I pray that I can be gracious in adversity, always.

I wish for my family, my friends, and those in the world to know love, to embrace kindness, and to step outside the box and give more of themselves. I wish for endless hugs. I wish for good health. I wish for every child to know warmth in their heart and comfort in their soul. I wish for peace.

I hope that the ripples from compassion will disperse beyond our wildest imaginations. I hope that random acts of kindness multiply. I hope that thoughts of others will replace thoughts of ourselves. I hope that we all remember that we are in this together. I hope that your joy, your happiness, and your excitement is not temporary but rather infinite.

I pray you have a wonderful holiday season. I wish for all your expectations to be fulfilled. I hope the most important presents you will give this holiday season are gifts you can give each day through the year.

Happy Holidays...

As always, big thanks for reading... To my amazing readers...I truly hope this holiday season is blessed and happy for you and all the people in your lives.

25 comments:

Rachel said...

Happy Holidays and best wishes to you and yours - Rachel :)

The Hopeful Elephant said...

All the same to you Doc.

I often get a bit thoughtful at this time of year remembering my lost patients as well...it's both a curse and a blessing.

I wouldn't trade it for the world.

rlbates said...

Best wishes to you and yours!

Anonymous said...

This year, may your prayers all be answered, your hopes be fulfilled, and your wishes come true. Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

Beautifully put, Dr. Captain America!

Now admit it -- MRS. Dr. Captain America wrote this, right? (GIGGLE -- You know I have to tease you.)

As Mother Teresa said (and I paraphrase), in a world of no darkness, we could never know light.

Happy light-filled days to you and the family.

mommy-medic said...

I don't have anything deep or thoughtful to say- just wishing you and yours a great week, and try to dodge the fruitcake!

SeaSpray said...

I wish all the same for you and your loved ones. (You said it so eloquently ..I'm just going with your words. :)

Thank you for your wonderful posts. :)

Chrysalis said...

Beautifully said. Now you have even more prayers coming your way. We can never have too many of those.

littlepretendnurse said...

Merry Christmas to you and yours. And thanks for sharing your stories, your laughter, and your heart with others!

Katie Axelson said...

This is a wonderful post, doc. My prayer is that you and your family enjoy a blessed Christmas, I wish more people had this mindset, and I hope your ripples of compassion continue to grow beyond that which you can imagine.
Thanks for writing,
<>< Katie

Cal said...

I think it brave that you are able to be so candid in your writing, it makes us appreciate your posts even more. Very heartfelt words, they certainly touched me; wishing you a lovely Christmas.

Anonymous said...

Here's wishing you and yours a warm, cozy and joyous holiday, StorytellerDoc. Merry Christmas!
-Wren

J-Quell'n said...

Happy Holidays! That was a beautiful post...almost made me cry! The same prayers go to you and your :)

NYCRN said...

endless gay-man hug coming your way. Keep the heart, better to feel
your life with.

F@ K@ said...

I'm just a cat, but i can read and you sir can certainly write.
merry christmas in the blog world.

Rositta said...

In spite of my physical limitations, I am incredibly happy to be with my son, my grandsons and my granddaughter this Christmas. Well, it could be a little warmer mind you, -20 Celsius is a bit harsh. Merry Christmas to you and your family and wishing you those five + years...ciao

Kris said...

This is a time of reflection for many of us. I hope that the heaviness of the post you chose not to share was not because of a loss that you have experienced recently.

I was diagnosed with cancer during my pregnancy with our 5th child ... on December 15th, 2005. I put off my first chemo to attend my son's first band concert, shopped for final presents, and cried alone in the closet while I wrapped them, because of the uncertainty we all faced.

I had six rounds of chemotherapy during my pregnancy, gave birth to a preemie girl at 32 weeks and finished radiation in time for summer. She is a healthy 4 year old ... sitting next to me while I post this asking if she can open "just one" present right now.

This time of year should fill me with joy, and it does ... but it also brings on a sadness that is unexpected and comes from a place deep within me.

I have learned to sit with those feelings ... I am a changed person ... and then to breathe in the joy all around me.

I guess I ended up with a heavy response.

I do sincerely hope that you and your family are well, and that any heaviness you feel will be pushed aside by the joy of this night.

Erika H. said...

Beautifully written. You are an inspiration. Merry Christmas to you.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your prayers. I bet you didn't know you were praying for me. My dad died last week. He was 85 but it was totally unexpected. My world is in a sort of upheaval. And yes, what do my kids do with the Christmas presents they meant for him? It's sad. We will spend tomorrow with his widow. I'm now officially orphaned. I cry at the drop of a hat. Thank you for praying for me. I pray for you.

Tanya said...

My best to you, your family, and your hard working co-workers-have a wonderful Christmas!

J-Quell'n said...

Mele Kalikimaka to you and your family Dr. Jim

Wren said...

Merry Christmas and many blessings to you and your family, Dr. Jim. May your day be filled with warmth, joy and lots of laughter.

merinz said...

I wish you and all your family the very best for the New Year!

Please keep the blog posts coming, they are avidly read and enjoyed here in New Zealand.

Katie Axelson said...

I still love the eloquence, transparency, and love in this post.

All's well here. I hope the same can be said on your end.

<>< Katie

Have Myelin? said...

What a wonderful storytellER you are. You inspire us all. Blessings in 2011.