December 25

From my brain

The Gift of the Magi

When the Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, the Magi came from the east and worshipped Him as incarnate God. Eagerly they opened their treasures and offered Him precious gifts --- pure gold for that He is king of the ages; frankincense in that He is God of all; and as dead for three days they offered myrrh to the Deathless One. Wherefore, come, all ye nations, let us worship Him Who was born to save our souls (Aposticha of the Nativity).

1 2008
- 1.1 Me 22:24, 25 December 2008 (EST)
2 2004

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2008

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Me 22:24, 25 December 2008 (EST)

I just put the call in to say Merry Christmas to my dad. While en route to MIL and FIL's around noonish today, I said I had to remember to call him while he was still at Nana's. Got swept up into the cooking and eating and merriment, and it was 4:30 before I remembered to call again. Just as I said, "I better call soon," Wifey's brother called. I forgot to call again until we were on the way home...at 9pm.

I was expecting for him to chew me out for not calling him / Nana earlier in the day...but he didn't. He said he knows how people can get busy and all that, and he knows how crazy things can get lately. He said too how he had explained to everyone at the table why we hadn't been able to make it up, and everyone just kind of nodded, knowing how tight times are these days. (Even my aunt and uncle from Canada who used to be fairly well-off almost didn't make it for reason of the gas prices.)

We talked a good while about money situations we both were in. He hasn't worked in almost five weeks. The guy who he regularly did snow plowing for in the winter months (a staple job in western NY state) said, "I'll give you a call in a week." That was four weeks ago. His previous job got yanked out from under him, and so he's been mostly unemployed ever since, only making gas and grocery money by driving school bus routes again.

Like Wifey and I, he and his girlfriend didn't buy anything for each other. "We take care of the kids, but after that, she and I don't really need nothin'." You have to take care of the kids. Christmas is all about them more often than not. He sent both TheBoy and Princess a $25 gift card to Wal-Mart and let it stand at that. It's the same he gave all his grandkids and nieces and nephews. "It's all you can do sometimes."

Today also marks the first time at the end of a phone call where my dad said, "Love ya" before I did. Something's changed in him as of late, and I'm not sure what it is, but you can hear it in his voice. He's still my dad, but there's been something that's come over him that's made him into a different (better?) person.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something in my eye.

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