Thinking of You This Christmas
Hello from the Russell’s –2021 - A year of change for us.
At the beginning of the year, the Russell’s were firmly ensconced in our comfortable, safe place in Colorado where we’d lived and worked for 50 years.
Mid-year – July, to be exact, we were loading up and moving to Oklahoma, defying all my “I’ll never’s…..”
• I’ll never move again – it’s too hard; we’re too old
• I’ll never live in Oklahoma again – never liked it, never will
• I’ll never find another home, hair stylist, or restaurant we love where everyone knows our name…….
But of course, you know the rest of the story – we are prime examples of the quote, “Never Say Never.” We did all those things. And glad we did. Our new home state is refreshingly patriotic, Godly, and my family is near-by. Good things have happened as we retired, moved, and started adjusting to our new life.
How about you? I know we're not the only ones who experienced some "stuff" in 2021. One thing I do know, however, it's always helpful to answer this question I saw posted on FB: "Can we start a thread of good things that happened to you in 2021? I don't care how small. Please."
Here are some of the answers I saw:
" Saw a dentist for the first time in 30 years
* Got out of debt
* My 85 year old mother is still with us
* I was looking for a used fridge. Instead found a used cat that had been abandoned in a parking lot.
I got up every day and was able to do whatever I wanted without fear or apprehension
* I lived! In spite of being accident prone!
* I turned 70 and I loved it. Filling my bucket list. Jumped out of a plane, zip lined, got 2 tattoos and more to do."
Barbra’s response to this request: "We moved to a place where I said I'd never go back. There my son found healing from a loooooooong and painful illness, my husband and I got healthier from some chronic conditions as well, and I learned for sure to "never say never".
And the lesson for us all: You never know when the very thing you're reluctant to do may turn out to be the very best for you.
No matter the year, no matter the circumstances, we're still here. What good thing happened to you in 2021? I'd love to hear it!
With love, appreciation and true wishes for a great Christmas season, we say:
May your nights be starlit and your stockings filled with goodies chosen just for you. And, most of all, may the baby in the manger and the Nativity Scene remind you that you are loved.
Jerry, Barbra and Dane Russell
Christmas, 2021
