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On this the first day of our 12 Days of Christmas, here's a friendly reminder that this is the one time of year when the acts of giving and receiving are officially sanctioned by the warm and fuzzy feeling that lingers in the air and just seems to trail behind us everywhere.
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Once upon a time in a time really not so long ago, a world existed without personal computers, the world wide web, streaming pictures, mobile phones, IMAX and GPS. Communicating by wireless meant locating a phone booth or waiting for your turn at the rotary landline phone; "busy" was a reality and "call waiting" a true novelty. Catching a movie meant everyone got to select from one of the 1 to 4 films that were playing at the local movie theater or waiting with anticipation for the "4:30 Movie" or the Afterschool Special to come on on ABC. ABC, CBS and NBC were the go to networks with better features than than the 8 other local channels; PBS was and will aways be PBS. Christmas meant holiday specials, multiple variety shows hosted by major celebrities and annual re-runs of the same films deemed most suited for the season. As an everyday event, family would gather around the television after dinner to watch their favourite shows, together.
On the Fourth Day of Christmas, allow this simple invitation to whisk you back to that time not so long ago and choose to re-watch 4 of your all time favourite holiday films.
There is no denying that movies work a certain magic on us all, as I suppose they were created to do. They let us live a life we can only aspire towards or relive (and possibly learn from) one that has already been experienced. They fill us with emotion or allow us fabulous release. Movies are a special part of many of our days, no less so than during the holiday seasons.
I suppose the major difference between that time really not so long ago and the present day is that as a result of the world not being so individualised, people had more mutual experiences to build upon. Less diversity suggest more closeness and closer begets warmth And perhaps -- just maybe -- this is why some folks can honestly yearn for the closeness and warmth of yesterdays; it was real. There is no blame for feeling disillusioned when these sensations are not achieved, most especially at holiday time. To stave off those unwanted feelings, why not gather the family around this year and watch 4 of your favourite holiday films, together .
These films just fill me with a certain warmth -- who knows why or how. Maybe I first saw them during this special season and the emotions hit me all at once-- and critics have noted that these films do elicit powerful emotional response -- but whatever it was or is, they have remained sentimental favourites of mine just because. The holidays always seem warmer, more special and definitely more complete when I chance to enjoy these features.
Musicals were more of a thing back in the day and I could never think of Danny Kaye in the "Ugly Duckling" or the "Nutcracker Suite" without recalling the mouth-watering aromas that emated from the holiday kitchen. Kitchen assist or not, I recommend Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Allen in my first must see holiday favourite "White Christmas".
This glorious film relates the story of a young Francie Nolan who yearns for something better and different for her family. The film is based on the best-seller book by Betty Smith which was irst published in 1943; the book was recently brought to light again in 2020 by a reviewer who noted:
With an everlasting pandemic and a tumultuous election coming up, wanting to escape reality has become a reality. The novel, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,” diverts you from the grimaces of 2020, by taking you to Brooklyn at the beginning of the 20th century, where protagonist Francie Nolan is getting by day to day. Betty Smith’s classic takes you on a journey plagued by poverty, but powered by hope, with guidance that we can all relish to this day. - Holly Jenvey, Staff Writer of the DePaulia
A guaranteed realisation of the struggles and grit of working-class life with a resounding and much welcomed message of hope. There's that "hope" word agan; yes, definitely fit for the season. Oh, and let us not forget the poignance of the Christmas tree scene.
Would I have gone terribly off-course if this old holiday favourite was not included on my own personal list? Think most readers would say, "You darn tooting you have!". Okay, perhaps not in those words, but I am fairly certain that most folks in the grand ol' USA would admit the season would probably seem like something is missing if they didn't at least catch a glimpse of an advert of "It's A Wonderful Life". Need I say more... onward to film #4.
This may be telling, but my all time favourite film of the yuletide holiday season since I first had occasion to watch it in my younger days while roast beef and gungo rice and peas arrested the senses and the familarity of family chatter seemed to be in surround sound is "I Remember Mama". Is it the immigrant theme (I always enjoyed a 'foreign touch')? Or that the film sings praises to 'woman' and 'Mama' which I always have done on my own time? Or is it that it is just a stellar film with the job of emoting, inspiring and just working that movie magie well done? Don't know, but it's a definite must see for me every year.
The timeless story of the sacrifices a mother makes to assure her family (especially her children) always have everything they need is a best selling novel, a charming Broadway Musical, and best-known as the star-studded 1948 movie classic. - IMDB reviewer
Just realised that most of my favourites hark back to the 1940's. Don't know, watching these films just make me feel warm and cosy. I also realise that someone could have a field-day psychoanalysing this whole situation... LOL.. but there you have it! By the way, you can view "I Remember Mama" in the Christmas Video player on the front page.
I still haven't let go of the first television set my parents bought for us when we arrived in the States. And... it still works! Let's not go into the number of years that have passed since then, but suffice it to say, we did have our time fiddling with the antenna to get the best picture for our analog VHF and UHF band channels. Televisions were placed on the floor back then with enough room in the back to accomodate the rather imposing cathode tube. The television was a family gathering place, and when it was turned on, it was together time. Some family members leaned over the arm of the overstuffed velvet armchair; another might be lounged out on the sofa (which is still quite comfortable even today, by the way); while for others, the floor was just as comfortable as a cosy bed. The gathering would definitely get larger when the Olympics were on (seemed like more of a community event back then) and at other times deemed equally as important (for "Roots"or "Dynasty", let's say). Holiday specials were a smash! And Channel 11's yuletide log presented a warm glow as the family went about the business of preparing for the festivities and non-stop eating to come.
As I mentioned before, Sweet Mama ensured that we were a family that did just about everything together. My brother-in-law still remembers how as soon as my eldest brother learned to drive, the parents bought a second station wagon so that we could bring along friends on our joyous jaunts to Bear Mountain and other places on the weekend. The most blessed warm and comforting family time -- it seems to me -- is when after our family as a group had washed and put away all the dishes following the very satisfying Sunday afternoon meal that our hard working nurse of a Sweet Mama would prepare without a miss, and it was time for ice cream and jello.
The family usually ate together, most especially on Sunday afternoon, and it was a fully-dressed table affair. Sweet Mama was drawn to fancy cutlery and plateware and Sunday meals were the perfect time to put everything to good use: knife, fork, dessert cutlery, soup dish and dessert bowl, serving utensils, cloth napkins with holders and even bone dishes and hand-washing bowls were regulars on the food-ladened dining room table. Then afterwards, when the parents acquired the first, the one and only, color tv, we would all adjourn to their bedroom, snuggling up on the bed together, ice cream and jello bowls suitably filled in hand and watch television, together. Back in those days, it was most likely "Battlestar Galactica" or "The Wonderful World of Disney" or something of that nature that would grab the attention of this contented bunch. Seems like you could easily dismiss any disappointment for the simple pleasure found in these moments of togetherness.
When the television wasn't on, family entertainment would not be at an end. We would have fun playing all sorts of games, most particularly as a tribute to our ethnic background, Jamaican traditional games.
Funny how very obedient we are when it comes to scheduling our time to suit work and school and outside obligations. Is it that we are conditioned from a young age to think that we must abide by schedules for our education or for the roles we must play in society? But what about a commitment to do the very same for yourself, to take a daily respite from the rigors of each and every day, every single day?
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What a small world! A few months ago when I was about a thousand miles away from home, I met a lady who uses my name, and we are born in the same month of the year. Our mothers have been given the same Christian name and both she and my Mum share an interest in the same exact hobby. Our relations come from the same general community in our shared homeland; our close relatives are engaged in the same career. And it seems she has similar taste in interior decor. Makes me think that those unfamiliar faces we pass by so casually on the street may just be linked to us in ways we would not have considered possible. Reminds me of the concept of the 6 degrees of separation.
Read more …Okay, I'm not a fan of odd numbers, but with all its special associations, I am going to have to make an effort to do justice by the epic #7. Seven is a historic and global phenomenon; it has even recently been voted the most popular number in the world. FYI, an article in UK's The Guardian proclaimed: " 'Seven' triumphs in poll to discover world’s favourite number... The results of an online survey reveal a world in love with numbers that stand out and feel exceptional," . After a successful survey, the pollster concluded, 'We love seven because it is unique. It reflects our uniqueness. Of course it’s the world’s favourite number. "
Seven has been a mainstain in religion and life in general throughout the world. The Romans felt that life renewed every 7 years and no doubt you have heard of the 7-year itch There is talk about the 7 deadly sins, the 7 wonders of the world, the 7 arts and sciences and even that indigo was included in the colors of the rainbow to bump the number up to 7. We are said to attend to and retain information best when it comes at us in 7's and so on.
On this the 7th Day of Christmas, in the wake of some of the incredible losses of the past 2 years, here's a wish that good fortune of 7 will come to you.
Frequently associated with higher powers, the number seven has often been the goal of the seekers of good fortune. There are some who simply wish for good luck and others who believe that by following certain principles, a person can indeed secure for themself a lifetime of good fortune. I reviewed the Internet and came up wth a few suggestions drawing primarily from "How To Attract Good Luck: 4 Secrets Backed By Research" and "20 Ways to Attract Good Luck: Research has found a correlation between good luck and the right attitudes and choices in life." For good fortune to shine upon you, it might that you discard old behaviours and cleft to some that are new. Speaking of old and new, "Songwriter" highlighted 7 Christmas songs that were written for 2021 that may have inspired holiday listeners to try something new.
Optimism isn't magical, it keeps us pointed in the direction of our goals in life. A negative, pessimistic attitude generally repels opportunity. src
"You’re more likely to try new things, follow through on opportunities and have them succeed if you believe they’ll work out well... And that optimism gives lucky people more “grit.” When you think things will work out, you persevere. And when you’re resilient, you give possibilities more time to work out in your favor." src
Sometimes failure can be a wonderful stroke of luck. You may think you know what your next step should be, but when you take it and fail, the lesson you learn ultimately ends up being what was standing between you and success." src
"Lucky people aren’t always lucky — but they handle adversity differently than unlucky people... When things get tough you’ve got two choices: you can either fold or you can keep going. Lucky people: are very resilient; see the positive side of their bad luck; are convinced that any ill fortune in their lives will, in the long run, work out for the best; do not dwell on their ill fortune.; take constructive steps to prevent more bad luck in the future... " src
What intuition seems to be most of the time is when you’ve got expertise in the area, that somehow the body and the brain have detected a pattern that you haven’t consciously seen... src
"Most people associate luck as a game of chance. And while there is an element of chance, it does not define the game. Being lucky is really a reflection of the choices we make... The choices we make on the margins--those behaviors and elements that are outside the periphery of the everyday grind--this is where the magic lies that unlocks enormous possibilities, otherwise known as luck." src
It makes intuitive sense: if you lock yourself in your house, how many exciting, serendipitous things are going to happen to you? Not many. src
"Lucky people create, notice, and act upon the chance opportunities in their lives... Unlucky people suffered from paralysis by analysis. They wouldn’t do anything until they walked through every single angle and by then the world had moved on. They don’t gain the benefits of learning through doing."src In business, "When you're building your company it's also important to meet people where ever you go and keep them in your network. As your network grows, so will your business. When your network is full of people who have your best interest in mind, there's no stopping the success you'll garner." src
In my opinion luck is made. Lucky circumstances follow people who emanate certain qualities. If you are wanting to increase your luck factor you can do that by making some changes to your behaviors. src
"Changes such as: stop being critical, eliminate complaining, be a contribution to others, look to see how you can help people around you, be disciplined with yourself, set goals and get moving on them, always be in action and never let fear stop you. Positive, productive, hardworking people create an aura of energy around them that attracts lucky circumstances. It is no accident--it is a product of everything that you do. When you operate as part of the solution in life, luck will naturally follow you." src
The only constant in life is change, so embrace it and ride the wave of transformation to personal and professional success... To truly succeed, you need to foster a culture of service to others, which is the key to happiness at work and in life. src
"Alter your thinking from, 'What you can get out of a new relationship?' into 'How can I help this new connection?' Helping three new people is likely to attract better luck than attempting to extract favors from those new individuals. You'll be amazed at how karma can reward a mindset like this in the long run." src
Positive experiences garnered in business and life are not based on luck, but through hard work and determination... Good things will happen to those who are diligent and motivated to never stop pushing toward greatness. src
"Preparation is a necessary prerequisite to good luck. Good luck occurs when an opportunity presents itself and you are prepared with knowledge, experience, and risk-taking ability. You need knowledge to recognize opportunities among the noise, you need experience to identify the patterns these opportunities often form, and you need the courage to take a chance. What people often say is good luck is simply a good choice based on evidence and risk." src
I was relating to someone recently something about my realisation of how drastically my perception of life has changed over the years. There is a 30 gap between the times of Sweet Mama's and my birth. I remember a time, maybe some two decades ago, when I was always feeling harried and looking urgently for quick solutions to long-standing problems. Sweet Mama seemed to take things more in stride and would calmy offer her sage advice. All these years later, I feel that demeanor and hear Sweet Mama's words constantly escaping my mouth; I am happy for the gems of wisdom that have been imparted. It fascinates me how the information about roads to success that I have gleaned from the Internet seems to echo Sweet Mama's direction and guidance.
Sweet Mama's mantra: ➀ "Education is the key to success." Sweet Mama intuitively knew that a formal education should not be undervalued because, knowledge, experience and skill always provide breakthrough opportunities for success when confronted with class, gender-inequality, economy and other circumstances that so often relegate one to despair, discontent and constrictive poverty.
➁ "Look within yourself," Sweet Mama would calmly say when I would be feeling hammered by unkindness and cornered by other things that I knew were worthy of vehement complaints! (I still can feel the angst even now... lol) I get it now. The solution to feeling caught between a rock and a hard place can be found within yourself; just think about it.
➂ Healthy eating means a healthy life and longetivity. Though my sweet tooth has always made itself known and could easily be used for bribery purposes in my youth, our family life was anchored on healthy eating: full meals which we ate together; life was heavy on the fruits and veggies, desserts were fruit salad, jello and a touch of ice cream, and snacks were not really the thing. (Yep! Eileen got me to be in the church's pageant when I was a wee one in Jamaica with the promise of a bag of sweets! -- the sweets were delivered in my teen years in the grand ol' US of A.) The highly popular Back to Eden became a must have back in the day.
Other important Sweet Mama principles that I carry with me. ➃ "Haste makes waste," so always work hard with a focus on doing your best and working with integrity. ➄ Spend wisely and always save for a rainy day: Sweet Mama always kept a $100 bill in your purse that she wouldn't spend (but would readily give to another) for that rainy day. ➅"Love that man half as much as he loves you." goes along with what I've always told my loved ones, "Don't dabble in love until you have all your ducks (education, vocation, economy) in a row because love is not something that is very rationale. And, most importantly, ➆ ALWAYS EDGE YOUR BET ON PRAYER.
My diligent mentor.