The Magic and Goodwill

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(Edited)


The magic of Christmas never ceases to amaze these eyes. Good times, goodwill, please give me peace, peace for today. Surrounded by sounds of beautiful song, smells of the holiday fill my home... the warmth of love wraps me up in a dream. I love this beautiful time of year. Many blessings sent your way.

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So many people have said that this year. The magic of Christmas… When you're young, adults focus on making Christmas magical for you. Everything is part of the plan, from decorating the tree, to baking the Christmas cookies, carefully decorating them and then sitting down and watching Rudolph or Miracle on 34th Street or one of the other classics...It was all created in a sense of tradition. It was there to make it exciting because it only came once a year.

Do you have any traditions that you have passed on or made yours?

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I needed a break from the commercial part of the season...where the sacred and the secular collide and are crudely tangled for weeks, where goodwill towards men and generosity struggle with the ugly crassness of consumerism, and where the birth of love into the world is reduced to a rendition of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” in three-part harmony.

In this reflective space of Advent, I focus beyond the headlines to prepare me for this most beautiful celebration. Oh, Advent, I do love thee, where I begin to light the candles, feeling the warmth as a rekindling begins in my heart, my heart.

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These candles are, but, a small light in the darkness. When the darkness is especially intense, it seems like that small light shines so much brighter. Advent emphasizes to me those smaller moments of light. Those small moments in life. The important little details. So small and yet, I can begin to feel new possibilities. Sometimes I need a reminder. Yes. I can feel them now.

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Today is the second day of advent, always a special time when I was growing up, and, still to this day. Advent means “coming” in Latin. This is the coming of Jesus in the world. Christians use the four Sundays and weeks of Advent to prepare and remember the real meaning of Christmas. Forgiveness for the lack of my Advent candle lighting my page. You will have to go with the light in my soul for today. I lit it and didn't take a picture.

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Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around.
"Love Actually"

I love that movie!

I want to watch it again!
Who's in?? Raise your hand!


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Christmas. It seems a little bit shinier; a little bit brighter than the rest of the year. The spirit of Christmas prompts people to do caring things for others. It’s that season of loving and giving – not just to those we love, our families and friends, but people seem to reach out to see what they can find. So my wish, should it come true, would be to be Christmas, all year through. Celebrate. Each. Day.

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I 💖 you. Yes, I do. The Season of Joy. Oh, Christmas, you do it every time.

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Christmas brings the musing out in me. So many beautiful memories. A lifetime of happiness and joy in my world. And as is always, there must be a flower to color my world.

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I dedicate the trees to #TreeTuesday by @Old-Guy-Photos. I want to thank him for hosting the tag each week. And just like that, these musings are done...and just so you know, although much sun and shine was used up today,giving way to the rain, I can guarantee that there is still a little left in my heart. Have a most fabulous day!



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Thank you for visiting my post 💖 Because of you, I come back to post again and again, I am encouraged by you, for the time you take to visit, comment or even upvote. For all of these reasons, I am eternally grateful. Don't ever forget what a wonderful world we live in, people.Some days, it is not as easy to see, how wonderful it really is. Kindness counts. Wherever you go, whatever you do.

they set my aunts house on fire
i cried the way women on tv do
folding at the middle
like a five pound note.
i called the boy who use to love me
tried to ‘okay’ my voice
i said hello
he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?

i’ve been praying,
and these are what my prayers look like;
dear god
i come from two countries
one is thirsty
the other is on fire
both need water.

later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered,
"where does it hurt?"
it answered,

"everywhere"
"everywhere"
"everywhere"

warsan shire



#Steemusa is a growing community of quality-content people from the United States or those living here. Check us out on Discord!

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(Edited)

People are such kind during Christmas time, people dress better and they greet each other. Good food in almost every home and of course giving and receiving gifts too at least here in my neck of the woods. @dswigle

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Same here @cryptopie~!!

I wish it could be that way all year long. I am wondering how hard that would be? Seems like people would be able to do it.

What a wonderful world that would be~ Thanks for stopping in and saying hello!

!tip

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There is so much love and gratitude in this post! It is literally overflowing!

When Jude was born in 2009 and my mom and I were living together – we started a Xmas tree tradition. When we moved in together, we bought one of those synthetic white trees and we each bought one glass/silver decoration for it… So on our first year, there were only 3 decorations on the tree… one from me, one from my mom and one on Jude’s behalf. We kept up this tradition every year and despite how sparce our tree looked, we knew that one day it would appear anything but!

The last couple of years we have not even put up the xmas tree as we have spent the entire festive season at my dads place in Fisherhaven – but last year, Jude asked to have Xmas at home because he wanted to enjoy it in his own space. The tree we had been using had gotten somewhat long in the tooth and relatively yellowed lol – so last year… even though my mom and I no longer live together, we did collectively decide to do something a little different for Jude’s “Home” Xmas tree. Out the front door of where we live is a long grassy canal stretch which has plenty of pepper trees… so my mom and I cut off a branch and shoved it into one of my wine vases hehe…

The end result was actually really beautiful! But the point of the story was sharing the tradition of each contributing one additional decoration (in silver only) for the tree each year... We have built quite a nice collection over the years! This year, we have bought a white tree, but we have not put it up as yet. I will be sure to share when we do!

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Wow! The fact is that I actually do hold a lot of love and gratitude in my heart. I have been fortunate in so many ways through life and it does not get lost on me that things could have been a lot of different. So, although sometimes I probably sound like a soap box to so many people, I cannot help but to spread it again and again and again.

I want to thank you for sharing your story with us. There are so many things that are so telling about it, and I like the fact that you can share yourself so easily with all of us. What a wonderful way to bring up your son.

I love your tradition of each contributing another decoration in silver for the tree each year. I am sure by now there is a massive collection. I can hardly wait to see the white tree with all the beautiful ornaments on it and I look forward to it. Thank you again and I wish you a most wonderful day! And as usual I am running so far behind. Love to you XOXO

!tip .20

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This post was curated by @theluvbug
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Thank you so much for the extra love sent y way @powerhousecreatives and @theluvbug! and Jaynie too~ Much appreciated!

!tip

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I think you deserve some $trdo

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Oh!!! Aren't you sweet!!! Thank you!! xo

!tip .20

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Bang, I did it again... I just resteemed your post!
Week 12 of my contest just started...you can now check the winners of the previous week!
Pixresteemer is also listed as promoter on The Steemians Directory
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Christmas is really special occasion all over the world. It is the time where everybody is in a good mood, it is the time to be thankful for all the things we have. It is the time to celebrate and to give love to everyone.

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Agreed. It is indeed a very special time of year. It should be this way all year long. Thank you for stopping by and saying hello.

!tip

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Hi @dswigle, a free $trendotoken from the TULIP Mania Game!
Round 3 will start soon and full details will follow. Thanks for playing!

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Christmas does often bring out the kinder side of people and perhaps we need that feeling to stay throughout the year these days

We have little traditions over Christmas, mostly based on the extended family we spend Christmas with in MA, bu I am sure we have our own little traditions although I am having a brain fade on what they are at the moment

What a lovely post

!trdo
!BEER

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That's okay! They are so traditional by now, you don't even think about them. It will be fun to see the kids again - and so soon! I am thinking of how awesome it will be to be in close proximity to them. :) Oh, wow! Life is about to change!

Thank you always! Have a super Wednesday!

!tip

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You always make Christmas look so joyful and fun on Steemit ... God Bless you i always love looking at your Christmas posts it just boosters my Christmas spirit up to another level ❤️ 🍁 ❤️

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That is probably one of the kindest things you could have said to me. Thank you! ❤️ It is such a beautiful time of year and if people only realized it could be like this all year round.

What a wonderful place this would be to live in. God Bless you always, my friend. Forever and a day.

Have a most wonderful night.

!tip .20

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Awwww...so nice of you to say that and true wouldn't be nice to have this all year round but i don't know about other places but for me it's Christmas every day here in Thailand because there are always happy smiles on the streets of Bangkok 🙂

Have a beautiful day my friend 😎

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I understand what you are saying, and yes, it would be nice to to have Christmas every day. :)

You have an awesome day, my friend!

!tip

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Thank you my dear friend we can always make it that way if we wish ..... have a awesome day also my friend my was a great day today and it's bed time for me very shortly 🤭

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This time is joy for all...!! I wish you happiness all year longI want you to have this joy all year long😊

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Thank you! I wish for joy and happiness all year too! Thank you for your wishes. Have a great day!

!tip

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Thank you for getting me in the very special Advent mood with this wonderful post of yours. Christmas has always been my very favorite and most magical holiday. We should keep all the traditions we were raised in as kids and focus on the very spirit of the holiday, which is love, peace, kindness and generosity, not shopping frenzy, rush and stress. Have an amazing Advent, Denise :)

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Thank you for such a kind comment. I love Advent and all the beautiful things leading up to the most Magical of the days. I have been passing on all of my traditions to my children and how fun it is to watch when the whole extended family gets together, I am from a family of 11 and the extended family is enormous!

I can only hope that my children continue in the spirit in which they lived and grew in.

No shopping frenzy here. Most of the season is spent visiting each other and making sure the elders get there too. ;) We are all going to get old one day and we are hopefully leading by example.

I wish you both a wonderful Advent in your new home! You must have moved when I was gone for over a month. What prompted the move? Just ready for another adventure?

As always, I wish you a great night!

!tip

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Oh wow, a family of 11. I cannot even imagine how large and intense those gatherings must be :) I am really glad to know you are one of those for whom Christmas is more about just spending family time together than participating in the consumerism. We do it the same way ;)

Well, the Azores are pretty much just another adenture, yeah :)

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The only real tradition we have at Christmas is doing some kind of group project. Sometimes its a food we decorate, others is something like homemade ornaments for the tree. I am at a loss of what our project will be for this year so far.

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Sounds fun! We have so many traditions and it seems like we keep adding to them every year. The best one that we have had since the kids were little is the pickle prize.

Hilarious!Especially the first few years. Thank you for stopping by and saying hello! Have a great day@

!tip

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Felicitaciones amiga por tan lindo y colorido trabajo alusivo a la navifad,epoca de recordar el nacimiento de jesus,muy linda la navidad y alegre si se tiene a Dios en el corazon,saludos

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Sin Dios en tu corazón, no hay una verdadera Navidad, para mí de todos modos. Pero, de alguna manera, la Navidad se ha vuelto tan comercial y necesitamos volver a ser como solían ser las cosas.

!propina !tip

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So much love and beauty you share. You are a magical girl and I shared your words of love and peace. Hugs, my friend. There is still much love to be felt despite the worlds stuggles. Have a beautiful Christmas holiday.

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Congratulations @dswigle!
Your post was mentioned in the Steem Hit Parade in the following category:

  • Comments - Ranked 3 with 63 comments
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Thank you so much for the mention in the #Hit-Parade @Arcange! It is always an honor to show up on your list! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all your efforts, known and unknown to make this platform a better place!

Thank you again!

!tip .20

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Oh I agree — everything seems a little brighter this time of year. It is often called “the season of light,” which has always seemed melodic and a little funny, since we. come to the shortest days of the year!

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I have not been on here as much as I would like to be lately, but I want you to know how much I appreciate your Christmas posts. They never fail to brink Christmas to my heart.

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