***Song taken from "It Feels Like Christmas" from "A Muppet Christmas Carol".
*Wednesday, Dec. 7th, 2011: I am grateful for Christmas movies! I watched "A Christmas Carol" (the version with George C. Scott) tonight and was reminded of how incredibly pertinent its content and message still is today. There were many points during the film when I feel like Dickens wrote out a verbal social justice smack down on Scrooge and here is my favorite one...
Ghost of Christmas Present: "If these shadows remain unaltered by the future, none other of my species will find him [Tiny Tim] here. But if he is to die, then let him die...! 'AND DECREASE THE SURPLUS POPULATION!'"
Scrooge: "You use my own words against me?"
Ghost of Christmas Present: "Yes! So perhaps, in the future, you will hold your tongue until you have discovered where the surplus population is, and WHO it is. It may well be that, in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than MILLIONS like this poor man's child."
So many people talk about how welfare, social security, medicaid/medicare, food stamps and other government funded social programs need to be cut because "those" people using those programs are abusing those programs...my family was on food stamps for two years and my brother and I were on Medicaid for two years so this quote hits home to me because once we finally open our eyes and discover where the surplus population is, and WHO it is, than the doors of compassion and love can be opened for all human kind.
*Thursday, Dec. 8th, 2011: Today I am grateful for the Virgin Mary. After a crazy, intense, insane day at work (see my last post), I headed to Mass for the Immaculate Conception at St. Augustine's. As I walked to church, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. So many frazzled thoughts and ideas and concepts rolling around in my head. I was trying to sort out everything that had gone down at work today and couldn't wrap my mind around it all...then I got to St. Augs. I immediately saw my community mate, Brittney and as soon as I saw her, I just wanted to burst into tears. My heart hurt and my body was exhausted. She looked at me and I said, "I have a lot to tell you." I spent most of the before-Mass-time praying for strength, for understanding, for faith and for hope. Once Mass got under way, it was beautiful...it was exactly what I needed. The dimly lit church, barely illuminated the alter, but it made me focus more on the alter and the words of the priest, which were what I needed to hear. He talked about how Mary said "yes" and didn't ask why but "how" God was going to have her conceive His son. I felt Brittney's hand on my back and she began rubbing my back in support and I started crying...what a perfect answer to my prayers...God works in His own way and His own time and I am so grateful for Mass tonight and the gift of the Virgin Mother.
*Friday, Dec. 9th, 2011: Today I am grateful for so much/so many people. I am thankful for my mama, for her wise words and support; I am thankful for my community members, who rallied behind me and supported me yesterday and through this coming weekend; I am thankful for my support people with JVC, who have jumped on the ball with helping me during this crazy transition; I am thankful for my supervisor at Emmaus, who is constantly looking out for me; I am thankful for the Additional Year JV friends I made, who have been supportive and loving from all over the nation; I am thankful for this weekend and the chance to get away to Philly to see my love, Ms. Alie Muolo (community member from Bridgeport last year) and I am thankful for the many, many people God has sprinkled along my path in life thus far...they have proven to be compassionate and loving during these shady times I am experiencing right now...thank you.
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