DougGuy
12-16-2015, 07:11 PM
Christmas Lights...
I got up in the attic and handed down boxes to my girlfriend Cary like we do every year, first the outside lights, all rolled neatly and stored in their own box because they (usually) go up first, then the boxes of ornaments and garland, many of the ornaments collected from far away places, many antique mercury glass pieces from postwar Europe, vintage tinsel from America, then finally the boxes that hold the pieces to the tree.
As I unrolled and strung the outside lights, for the first time half of them didn't work. Half of this strand lit, half of the other strand lit, I thought well damn, I hate to go buy new lights, I wonder if I can fix these? Turned my attention to the tree, and once assembled two of the strings on the tree were dark. What gives? They worked last year when we put them away!
Not wanting to be bothered with the task of fixing them, kept putting it off and putting it off, finally I started googling how to fix lights. I'm like Grrrrrrrr.. Okay, I guess I GOTTA do this... Once I started into it, it wasn't so bad after all, I had to cut the end socket off two strings and solder on a replacement cobbled from a spare only halfway working string, but once replaced? Voila!! A fully lit tree! Smiles all around, then we began decorating. The tree looks all festive now, with the cherished ornaments and the tinsel that moves with the slightest breeze in the house, it's finally like we want it to be year after year.
And so it is with many of us here in this group, we shine brightly for much of our lives, and then one day we find ourselves in need of help, in need of diagnostics and then treatment, we hate the thought of having to go through that dark scary place, but we force ourselves to be optimistic, to tell ourselves that one day, we will indeed shine again, we will find the twinkle in our eyes has returned, we smile again and we put behind us the struggle, and we focus on enjoying the fact that we are still here, and we begin to develop a new sense of appreciation for even the mundane everyday things that didn't mean much before.
So now these lights are all working, it warms the heart to come home at night and see the tree all lit up, see the outdoor lights that frame the doorway all lit up, and it makes you feel good inside to know that once again, WE can shine like we did before, WE can hang hope on a brightly lit future despite the darkness and fear in the days that WE needed repairing, and WE can give thanks and be high in spirits for the holidays and spread the cheer..
Merry Christmas y'all, and here's to a happy new year to come....
I got up in the attic and handed down boxes to my girlfriend Cary like we do every year, first the outside lights, all rolled neatly and stored in their own box because they (usually) go up first, then the boxes of ornaments and garland, many of the ornaments collected from far away places, many antique mercury glass pieces from postwar Europe, vintage tinsel from America, then finally the boxes that hold the pieces to the tree.
As I unrolled and strung the outside lights, for the first time half of them didn't work. Half of this strand lit, half of the other strand lit, I thought well damn, I hate to go buy new lights, I wonder if I can fix these? Turned my attention to the tree, and once assembled two of the strings on the tree were dark. What gives? They worked last year when we put them away!
Not wanting to be bothered with the task of fixing them, kept putting it off and putting it off, finally I started googling how to fix lights. I'm like Grrrrrrrr.. Okay, I guess I GOTTA do this... Once I started into it, it wasn't so bad after all, I had to cut the end socket off two strings and solder on a replacement cobbled from a spare only halfway working string, but once replaced? Voila!! A fully lit tree! Smiles all around, then we began decorating. The tree looks all festive now, with the cherished ornaments and the tinsel that moves with the slightest breeze in the house, it's finally like we want it to be year after year.
And so it is with many of us here in this group, we shine brightly for much of our lives, and then one day we find ourselves in need of help, in need of diagnostics and then treatment, we hate the thought of having to go through that dark scary place, but we force ourselves to be optimistic, to tell ourselves that one day, we will indeed shine again, we will find the twinkle in our eyes has returned, we smile again and we put behind us the struggle, and we focus on enjoying the fact that we are still here, and we begin to develop a new sense of appreciation for even the mundane everyday things that didn't mean much before.
So now these lights are all working, it warms the heart to come home at night and see the tree all lit up, see the outdoor lights that frame the doorway all lit up, and it makes you feel good inside to know that once again, WE can shine like we did before, WE can hang hope on a brightly lit future despite the darkness and fear in the days that WE needed repairing, and WE can give thanks and be high in spirits for the holidays and spread the cheer..
Merry Christmas y'all, and here's to a happy new year to come....