#LighttheWorld

[PaloAltoCougar]

Our ward's Christmas breakfast this morning had a LTW theme, with the dining tables featuring crèches from various countries. Each crèche was adorned with those tiny LEDs from Costco. One of the post-prandial activities was the completion of 50 gift baskets filled with good eats, Christmas ornaments and, of course, more lights, along with an invitation to our Ward's Christmas program. These are being delivered to inactives today. I'm not expecting a significant response but the baskets are pretty cool and it's an easy way to get my HT done.

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[SeattleUte]

I'm genuinely curious whether you post that with regret, eager anticipation, or simply as an indifferent observer.

Indifferent mostly, but with an edge. Not regret.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Indifferent mostly, but with an edge. Not regret.

Heartwarming.

[SeattleUte]

Heartwarming.

Christmas as it is to you, like cursive and stay at home moms, is probably of shorter history and more ephemeral than you realize.

[wuapinmon]

Christmas as it is to you, like cursive and stay at home moms, is probably of shorter history and more ephemeral than you realize.

As someone who has poured over 400-year-old manuscripts in a frustrating attempt at paleography of colonial-era bureaucrats trying to explain why a free woman of color should be allowed to go to the Americas, or not, I ask you to defend your comment on cursive.

[Donuthole]

As someone who has poured over 400-year-old manuscripts in a frustrating attempt at paleography of colonial-era bureaucrats trying to explain why a free woman of color should be allowed to go to the Americas, or not, I ask you to defend your comment on cursive.

[mtnbiker]

Thank you, I was thinking the same thing. But why were you up so early?

[Donuthole]

Thank you, I was thinking the same thing. But why were you up so early?

I wasn't. I was up late.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Frustrated becasue my son and I have only managed to get up half of our christmas lights so far this year, my wife threatened me with one of those LED house-"wash" lights. If all lights arent up by COB Saturday, Monday will see my place bathed in those little dots. A pox on my house indeed.

<bump> I've been worried about you, creek. Did you get the lights up or has your house taken ill?

[creekster]

<bump> I've been worried about you, creek. Did you get the lights up or has your house taken ill?

Thank you for your concern. My wife gave me a brief continuance on the deadline and, as of last night, all lights are up. It was close, but no pox on my house this year.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Thank you for your concern. My wife gave me a brief continuance on the deadline and, as of last night, all lights are up. It was close, but no pox on my house this year.

It's a Christmas miracle! The last of our lights go up tomorrow, finally. I've been milking the accident thing for all it's worth this season.

[chrisrenrut]

It's a Christmas miracle! The last of our lights go up tomorrow, finally. I've been milking the accident thing for all it's worth this season.

Our lights went up the day after Thanksgiving. However, that night we noticed that one of the lights right above our garage was burned out. I have replacement bulbs, and it would be very easy to get out the ladder and replace it. But the problem is, I just don't want to do it.

instead, I made up a fable that was just funny enough to get my wife off my back. I told her that it was a old Norwegian tradition to leave one prominent bulb dark, in memory of sailors lost at see. She laughed, and said if anyone mentioned it she would refer them to me to tell the tale.

FTR, we are in no way Norwegian, and live in a mountain desert nowhere close to a sea. But if this election cycle has taught me anything, it's that the more outrageous the story, the more likely it is to be accepted (well, at least by 45.9% of registered voters in Utah).

[LVAllen]

I told my daughter this made me really want to splurge on our Christmas gifts to them, but she rejected that idea, noting that they were really happy doing the things they've been doing and she wanted their only reward to be the good feelings that come from serving others and I shouldn't defile an otherwise selfless act with materialism. This is seriously cramping my style.

Even if Grandpa is limited in his generosity, Santa sees all. Just sayin'.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

At the risk of ruining the thread I would like to share a positive experience I had with #LightTheWorld. I have a family member that I used to have a very close relationship with however through various choices that both of us have made we have become estranged. At times I have felt sadness for my role in the situation and at times I have felt anger at them for their role in our current relationship state.

Last Friday's #LigthTheWorld was "Jesus Visited the Lonely and So Can You" the possible example was to do something for a widow or widower. Goose and I had decided to go visit a widow down the street from us who always stops and talks for longer than seems normal to the kids when they are out playing in the yard. I was proud of myself for following through and actually doing something. I spent all day with a gut feeling, when one's gut is as prodigious as mine it becomes difficult to ignore, that there was something else I could do. I decided to reach out to the estranged family member that said "I know we don't talk anymore, but I have been thinking about you and I love you". It was as inspired of thing as I have ever done. We have been communicating over the weekend, and while there are still issues that may not be resolved between us there is a new or perhaps renewed feeling of love and care. Sure this could have been achieved without #LightTheWorld, but I likely wouldn't have been thinking about something like reaching outside of myself. Hopefully others will have similar good experiences or better.

[PaloAltoCougar]

At the risk of ruining the thread I would like to share a positive experience I had with #LightTheWorld. I have a family member that I used to have a very close relationship with however through various choices that both of us have made we have become estranged. At times I have felt sadness for my role in the situation and at times I have felt anger at them for their role in our current relationship state.

Last Friday's #LigthTheWorld was "Jesus Visited the Lonely and So Can You" the possible example was to do something for a widow or widower. Goose and I had decided to go visit a widow down the street from us who always stops and talks for longer than seems normal to the kids when they are out playing in the yard. I was proud of myself for following through and actually doing something. I spent all day with a gut feeling, when one's gut is as prodigious as mine it becomes difficult to ignore, that there was something else I could do. I decided to reach out to the estranged family member that said "I know we don't talk anymore, but I have been thinking about you and I love you". It was as inspired of thing as I have ever done. We have been communicating over the weekend, and while there are still issues that may not be resolved between us there is a new or perhaps renewed feeling of love and care. Sure this could have been achieved without #LightTheWorld, but I likely wouldn't have been thinking about something like reaching outside of myself. Hopefully others will have similar good experiences or better.

That's very cool, HFN, and it's motivated me to call a sister with whom I speak maybe once a year, if that. It's strange how we (or at least I) examine motives and question the necessity or propriety of programs like #LightTheWorld, or become cynical about the season generally, but these are good things people are doing. I'm enjoying this year's holiday season more than most.

P.S. I love chrisrenut's Norwegian tale that got him out of a bothersome task. I intend to revise and apply it to future annoyances. It helps that Mrs. PAC descends from Norwegians.