On The Fifth Day of Christmas

Image courtesy of Google.

On the fifth day before Christmas my true love gave to me, Five Golden Rings….

ZZZZEEERRRRP! (record scratch sound) Wait. What? What kind of rings?

Well if they’re from my true love at Christmas time they would be  these five things, err, rings:

1.       Family. Family is what it’s all about. Family makes us strong, brave, and compassionate. Family holds our hands through the good and the bad. Family helps us be better people than we would be without them. Family equals love. And love is everything because God is Love.

Image courtesy of Google.

2.      Faith. Faith has so many layers.   Have faith in yourself that you can achieve your goals, or at least conquer your biggest hurdles- which in and of itself is a pretty satisfying goal. Have faith in others, in human-kind. Not all people are bad, in fact most are good. We just hear more about the bad. (And remember, those bad people probably have grandmas who are praying for them.) Faith in God the Father. Without faith in the guidance from a higher power (whatever yours may be), life would be a bit “pin-bally”/ without direction.

3. Friends:Sometimes, if you're really lucky, you have good friends who become family. We are blessed with fabulous friends!

Photo by Tim. Woodshed built? Check!
Logs cut? Check!

4.       Hard Work: It’s the only satisfying way to get what you want and what you need.  As my true love would say, “If it was easy, it wouldn’t be worth it.”  And, "If it was easy, anyone could do it." He’s so right. Work hard in your relationships, in your education, in your career, and, of course, to meet your dreams.

Make the world a better place
by planting a garden.

5.       Appreciation of our home: Look around at this beautiful Earth, be it the blue skies and green fields of Iowa, the turquoise waters of the Caribbean, or the rugged mountains of Colorado. Take time to appreciate a violet sunset, stars in the night sky, and the soaring beauty of an Eagle. Celebrate the plants and animals in your own back yard that go through the cycle of life every year. Don’t take this home for granted.

Photo by Tim. Okoboji sunset

Photo by Tim. Sunrise over the lake.

Photo by Tim.
The moon rises over the woods.

These five things. They’re IT. They’re all we need.

Merry Christmas and Peace to all.

Until next time,

Be Good to Yourself,

~Nadine