It IS a Wonderful Life...Right?

Here it is, December 2nd, and there is no sign of Christmas in the little house on the corner. Thanksgiving was splendid! We enjoyed the company of my Mom and nephew Michael, as well as having Rachel home from college. The turkey was proclaimed the most tender and moist bird I have yet to cook, the pies were scrumptious, and the family played lots of games together. It was a lovely, long weekend.

I had big plans for this week! Yes, I did! Monday I would go shopping for my annual Christmas ornament gifts to my children. Richard would come home from school and help me put our Christmas tree up in the living room. I would cover it in lights and we would all decorate it for Family Home Evening. There would be hot cocoa and Bing Crosby singing in the background. Over the next few days I would put out all of our Christmas finery and there would be such a mood in this house!

Alas, Sunday night brought me extreme nausea and someone's sick idea of a stomach flu. On Monday I tried valiantly to straighten my house up from the long weekend but I wore out quickly. By 1:00 that afternoon I was upstairs in bed and would not see the downstairs again until Wednesday morning. Richard began coughing Monday night and is still out of school today. My darling mother ended up bringing me chicken noodle soup and toast for two days instead of the fun shopping we had planned.

Life is like that some days...

We love the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". It is a holiday staple in our home. We could watch it ten times in a row and my sweetie would be sobbing by the end scene every time! It is a good and touching story but that is not the reason it makes him cry. You see, in a very real way he has lived that story. In a very real way we all live some part of it quite often.

George Bailey had big dreams for his life. Things were going to happen just so and he would be happy. He loved his sweet wife Mary and wanted to give her the moon. Along the way bad luck seems to track him down. He feels his house is inadequate. He is plagued by financial problems and stress at work. Things are not going the way he planned at all. A great tragedy occurs and he feels his family would be better off without him.

Have any of you ever felt even remotely close to that? I know people who have. I have even felt some of these emotions from time to time. But just when things seem the darkest our family and friends seem to rally around us and buoy us up, give us hope. It IS a wonderful life, even when I am sick. The house will look like Christmas in a few days and Mom and I will get to go shopping! things are always bound to get better if we live with faith. We have a loving Heavenly Father and this season is all about His gift to us, the greatest gift.I want my sweetheart to know that we love him and are so thankful for all he does for us every day. My life is wonderful because of him!