"In the Midst of Winter, I Finally Learned That There Was In Me An Invincible Summer” (Albert Camus)

It is a clear day--and it's true, you can very well, nearly, see forever. The sky and ocean are the same hue of deep aqua marine blue. The only degree of separation being the thousands of watery diamonds that reflect a bright white sun. There is a point, as one looks over the vast horizon, where you simply cannot define where the sea ends and the sky begins. It is very cold--forty-four degrees at high noon. The snow birds might say that is not cold but, for one that has been born and bred on the south shores of Louisiana and Mississippi, it's cold.

The seagulls are amazingly graceful creatures. If by some strange stretch of the imagination I could not be a human, I think I would like to be a seagull. The sheer elegant fashion in which they fly and go about their daily business intrigues and fascinates me for hours on end.

The rhythmic sound of the waves breaking gently on the shores are calming and the sea spray is like some sort of magical healing medicine. My husband and I have been visiting this tiny south Alabama town with its beautiful sea shores for some forty years now. We have both acknowledged and agreed it is our favorite place to visit. We brought our children here in the summer time--the summer of our lives and journey together. We're likened to the snow birds now--flocking here in the dead of winter-- standing on the precipice of the winter of our own lives and journey here. I am not afraid though. I promise I am not.

I used to say (when I was younger) that I would grow old "gracefully". Now that I'm just about there I have no idea what that looks like or even what that is suppose to mean. Can anyone make wrinkles go away forever? Skin not sag and hair no longer be gray no matter how much dye you have used to cover it up? I could go off on a tangent here but, I would digress.

My family and I had a wonderful Christmas together. We celebrated a few days early. I finally waved the white flag on trying to have everyone gather on the 24th or 25th. It was getting a little crazy to accommodate everyones schedules in that short of time span, so we celebrated on December 22nd. My family has  multiplied and grown and with growth there is always change.  The good news is change  brings blessings as well.   I did so enjoy having everyone together. There's a certain peacefulness I feel in my heart when we're all under one roof--despite the noise and chaos that comes with it. It's a package deal I would take any day of the week or month of the year. To me it's always Christmas when we are all together.

I am looking forward to the new year regardless of Washington, DC, fiscal cliffs, bad politicians and other calamities that may await us. Some may call me naive but I can't help but to believe that everything is going to be alright. I've read the book of Job and my particular understanding of that book of the Bible is that-- even if everything is wrong--it's alright. Naive and simplistic too, I guess.

One thing is certain though.  I confidently step into the new year--my sixtieth year--remembering a sermon by Rev. Fred Luter, Pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church New Orleans, once entitled, "It May Be Over My Head But It's Under HIS Feet."

Blessings of peace and all that is good,
Debra

Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet...