dec22

December 22nd 2015

What a day,
a late start after staying up until 4am.
I was off and running by 11am.
East London was my starting place,
a much needed visit with a good friend
I do not see often enough
(and Ray and Bailey).
Then it was running all over the city
finding my last minute items.

A phone call alerted me to the fact that my Aunt
had just been put in the hospital.
She has double pneumonia
and will have to be there over Christmas.
I got into town just after 6,
called for backup as a moral booster
over a slice of peanut butter cheesecake!

Off again I finished my chore list
came home to find John,
and we went through my purchases
and opened his gift cards from work.
Very generous to a new employee.
We were happily proud
we had almost everything we wanted to get.
Groceries could wait until tomorrow night.

It is an early night for me tonight

Thought for the day: gifts from the baby king

Apart from their names, the three Magi have distinct characteristics in Christian tradition, so that between them they represented the three ages of (adult) man and three geographical and cultural areas, reflected in art of the 14th century.

Caspar is old, normally with a white beard, about 60 and gives the gold. An ordinary gift for a king as it is valuable. He is from the Mediterranean coast of modern Turkey, and is first in line to kneel to the baby in the manger.

Melchior is middle-aged man about 40, giving frankincense from his native Arabia. Frankincense is a perfume (an incense) and a symbol for deity.

Balthazar is a young man of 20, very often black-skinned, with myrrh from Africa. Myrrh being commonly used as an anointing oil or an embalming oil and is a symbol of death.

FYI: There was a 15th-century golden case purportedly containing the Gift of the Magi housed in the Monastery of St. Paul of Mount Athos. It was donated to the monastery in the 15th century. They were apparently part of the relics of the Holy Palace of Constantinople and it is claimed they were displayed there since the 4th century. After the Athens earthquake of September 9, 1999 they were temporarily displayed in Athens in order to strengthen faith and raise money for earthquake victims. The relics were displayed in Ukraine and Belarus in Christmas of 2014, and thus left Greece for the first time since the 15th century.

As I shopped today, I noticed people scrambling to buy "something", anything. Not happy faces, joyful in the amazing fact that we were coatless and able to be shopping at all. Miserable, rude drivers, although almost ALL of the staff I interacted with were amazing. I was not looking for big expensive gifts worthy of a king. I was rather shopping for a gift (gifts) to express the love I have for the people in my life. I see no sense in buying for the sake of it, and in fact have cut down in the commercial part of my Christmas gifts.

If you felt the need to buy me a gift I thank you...

but your friendship, coffee on Wednesday mornings or chat on facebook is gift enough!

Good night from John Street