My Alternative Christmas Letter

Happy Holidays my beautiful family,

 I wish we could all be together to share the celebration, but alas life has cast us all to the wind and scattered are we over the country. I tried to get into Christmas this year, some of you know that Christmas is just not my thing, I like to just get through the season and move on to the New Year quickly. Not that I don’t celebrate light and express gratitude to the trees that give us light, heat and shelter, or praise the birth of Christ, which I think of as the perfect connection to God in each of us.  The Christ within, Bodhisattva, or our true and perfect souls. Not to mention that I love Santa too, I have always been partial to men that are bears and Santa is definitely a bear. I think it is great for all the kids, and if you have a family then, how fun is that.  I tried to start early and be thoughtful and find something that would be meaningful. I went to the mall and was immediately and completely overwhelmed with THANGS of all kinds.

I had to pull back and go home, I can last about 15 minutes in the mall, the smell, the lights, the people, eeek. Shopping is not my thing. I had read about Heifer International, so I went home and looked at their catalog of giving. What jumped out at me was the option to purchase an organic vegetable garden for a family that needs a leg up. Our dad was an amazing organic gardener and I think he would have heartily approved of my selection. I thought about how blessed each of us is just to live in the USA, how very fortunate we are to have each other, even splintered and scattered about. I thought about all the blessings in my life and how much I get to enjoy every day. With all of that in mind I bought each of our family lines an organic garden that will go to a family who aren't as materially fortunate as we, although I will bet that their lives are much less complicated, very connected to the earth and each other. Just for the hell of it I also threw in a beehive.

I am sending you all much love, light and appreciation.

Aunt Jude