As Christmas 2020 lies but two days ahead on the calendar, the global celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ inspires a time for reflection.
Of course, reflecting on the amazing influence the birth of a child can have on humanity is worth a mention. Think of someone who was born in less than sterile conditions, never drove a car or watched a television program yet is adored around the world. He healed the sick. Raised the dead. Showed us how to live and died for our sins.
Today there are thousands of churches where believers come to share their faith in Jesus Christ and, yes, share their wealth to have that religious freedom, especially in the United States.
And Christmas, which falls at the end of the last month of the year, is an opportunity to look back…and forward. Christmas 2020 sees the world still battling the Corona virus but excited about the potential of vaccines now becoming available. People have had their lives changed. Many have lost their jobs…and in some cases, their identities. Depression, drug use, and alcohol abuse are rampant. We have struggled, yet persevered.
That is the message of Christmas 2020: Be strong and persevere. We can get through this and survive. Can you change what happened in the past year? Six months? Week?
No.
Can you alter what lies ahead?
No.
What you have is today. Now. Tell people you love them. Enjoy life. Appreciate what you have. Know that faith in God gives meaning…and purpose to life. Serve others. Be kind. You are what you are. Embrace it.
My life can be analyzed, summarized, and described from the contents of my drawer in the bathroom.
The blood glucose meter has a spotty record of my blood sugar readings. It lets you know I’m a diabetic who doesn’t do a very good job of monitoring his blood sugars. Hence a recent visit to the clinic discovered my diabetes is getting worse. Doh! Three years later it is under control but still with me. Diabetes sucks and is the reason my father and my father-in-law left this world.
December 2020
The Gillette razor tells the story of a man who prefers not to shave if he doesn’t have to and doesn’t change the blade often enough when he does. It also lets you know I now prefer a straight razor to an electric razor/shaver. Three years later, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and the quarantine, I have grown a full beard and mustache. It is indicative of my preference to avoid shaving but I have expressed a willingness to shave if…and when…I harvest a deer.
The tubes of sunscreen identifies a man who has been advised by a dermatologist to apply the lotion before going outside to avoid another incidence of skin cancer. I had a basal cell carcinoma removed from my high right cheek in early November of 2011. Three years later, I use sunscreen when officiating soccer matches but otherwise eschew the toner. I remain cancer free but am cautious about too much solar exposure.
The tube of Pepsodent toothpaste is still there in 2020, although it has been replaced a few times in three years. I keep referring to three years since I started on this writing expose in 2017 and it is now near the end of 2020. That brand has been around since my youth and I still remember the slogan: “You will wonder where the yellow went when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.” It is also economical to purchase but difficult to find in grocery stores.
The nail clippers are useful in keeping my calcium deprived fingernails and toenails trimmed. They are essential to proper grooming, hence I keep both fingernail and toenail clippers in the drawer.
The pen is there for some unknown reason. As a writer, I like to have pens available in the event some thought inspires me and I need to write it down before I forget it. Only problem is I rarely keep any paper near where the pen is. It could be removed to make room for something else, like a pencil.
The medicine bottles are no longer in the drawer three years later. Oh, there is a bottle of ibuprofen on the bathroom counter, but I seldom take any of those pain relievers. My supplements are on my computer desk now. My regular medication is in one of those pill boxes that help you remember what you need to take each day of the week. And now the pill box helps me recall what day of the week it is. Surplus bottles are on a shelf under my drawer…so, close at hand.
The hairbrush resides in the drawer to be used after a shower when I brush my thinning hair back to dry it more quickly. When I have used some of the other items in my drawer, the brush is used to create the look that defines me. I was blessed with two natural parts for my hair, so I can brush my hair either left or right and either one appears natural. The preference is to brush from right to left…but I had to think about that for a second. Funny how what is natural, and commonplace requires thought to define.
There are now other grooming aids in the drawer that I seldom use, like hair pomade and beard balm, but they have a place in my life when I so choose. The fact I can describe what lies in my drawer is indicative of my need to be organized. If I need to use a nail clipper, for instance, I know where to look and if it is not in my drawer, it is in my traveling toiletries case on the shelf in the cabinet under that all important drawer.
