Holiday Perspective - A Short Story

by Becki McCartney 

Contributing Writer, Gracious Jane Marie Blog

Mickey loved his job. He thought about this as he shifted two feet to his right. What a great job he had. It had purpose. It had meaning. Heck, he might do or learn something today that could improve lives for generations to come. Most working stiffs couldn’t say that. It was a tough job, sure. It had taken lots of training and preparation, but the outcome was so worth it. It was kind of like learning to ride a bike for the first time.

Ah, there was the rub, the downside of this perfect job. Being away from Cassie. Cassie, that sweet, kind-hearted little redhead. She had mastered riding a bike in no time. And climbing trees. She was the proverbial tomboy from her Marlins cap to her scraped knees.  How he missed making her laugh and kissing her goodnight. She understood, of course, that daddy’s job took him away for months at a time. She was proud of him, really proud. You could see it in her eyes. Still, being away from her tugged at his heart, especially at this time of year.

He knew holiday madness was in full swing in their little town. Since he had been away, Black Friday had come and gone. Cyber Monday, or whatever they were calling it now, had no doubt set new sales records. All of that pushing and shoving and grabbing for a buck made no sense to him from where he stood. Kissing Cassie goodnight was worth far more than all of that. Having her roll her eyes and laugh at his corny jokes, now that was gold.

“Mickey, do you need any help out there? You haven’t moved in a few minutes. Is anything wrong?” said the voice on his headset.

“No, sorry,” he said, “just worlds away for a minute. Thinking about Cassie and the holidays. Back on point now. This should just take another 30 minutes.”

“Okay, Mickey. Stay focused. You’ll be able to talk to Cassie in a few hours. We’ll all be calling home later today.”

Right, stay focused. Mickey turned back to the job at hand. He lifted his screw-driver and turned the specially-designed nut to the right. He turned it just enough to loosen it, leaving it attached. He gently lifted off the 6”x 6” cover plate. As he was moving it to his pouch for safekeeping, he thought he caught a glint of something reflected off the metal. He stopped and looked to his right. No, nothing there. “Well, of course not,” he thought to himself.  “I must really need some shuteye. First I’m distracted and now I’m seeing things.” He put the cover plate into his pouch and looked back at the reason he was here. It took him just 22 minutes to remove and replace the malfunctioning sensor, a record time. He put the cover plate back into position, tightened the nut, and returned his screwdriver to its tight-fitting compartment on his hip.

Mickey took a final look around. Everything secure, check. Nut tight, check. All tools where they should be, check.  “Sensor replaced. I’m heading back now,” he said into his microphone. “10-4,” came the reply.

As he started to move to his left, he caught a flash out of the corner of his eye. No, not a flash exactly. Something shiny. Something red and shiny. “What the heck?” he thought and turned toward it.

Ah, it wasn’t lack of sleep after all. There on the horizon was a tiny sleigh led by what looked like a pack of Great Danes. Okay, the first Great Dane had antlers and a red nose so maybe they weren’t reeeally Great Danes. Mickey, of course, knew exactly what they were and who was driving that red sleigh. He hadn’t realized what day it was until then. No wonder Cassie had been on his mind. It was Christmas Eve.

He looked down and smiled. On that big beautiful blue marble below he knew Cassie was tossing in her sleep. She loved Christmas morning so she always had a fitful night’s sleep on Christmas Eve. Tonight would be no different.

An echo of hearty laughter and sleigh bells made him look up at the horizon again. The tiny sleigh was gone now. He knew the Toy Maker and his elves would have a full night ahead of them. The adults on the planet below had long since consigned Mr. Claus and his annual toy delivery to the ash heap of childhood dreams. Life on Earth did that to you. The joy and possibility of magic were replaced by thoughts of bank accounts, house payments, and the like. Only the innocence of a child’s mind could hold the truth these days.

“A second group knows the truth as well”, mused Mickey.  Astronauts.  Astronauts like him, who had seen the old man and his pack of Great Danes for themselves. Yes, the astronauts knew.

Mickey made his way back toward the hatch, hand over hand, with a smile on his face. He would get to wish Cassie a Merry Christmas in a few hours. He could be content with that, knowing she was safe and happy.  And that the jovial old Toy Maker would step-in in his absence.

As he made his way around the outside of the Space Station, Mickey sent up a silent prayer for peace on Earth, a long sought after and seldom found state for the planet below.  He felt in his heart that if only his fellow earthlings could see the Earth from here, they would be changed. He knew they would. He had been changed. Every astronaut who had ever gone into Space had been changed. When you look down and see that beautiful, complex, blue and green planet for the first time, it is hard to understand how the inhabitants were constantly at war and blindly treating the planet’s natural resources as disposable. It completely defied logic from this lofty perspective.  All astronauts knew this, too.

Mickey continued moving cautiously toward the hatch, unhooking and re-hooking his tether as he went. Almost there. Just 5 more minutes and he would be stepping back inside the airlock. The porthole was in view now. Sergei was there, smiling at him and giving a thumbs-up. He gave a thumbs-up in reply.

“Today is a good day,” Mickey thought to himself. “Who knows, maybe I’ll discover something in the science lab today that will change some of those lives down there, bring a little magic back to them. Science IS magic after all.”

And in the deep, profound silence reserved only for the cosmos ……….. a sleigh bell rang.

T H E       E N D

🎄🎅🎄

Memorial Day, They Are Not Forgotten

Slow down.  And I mean you ... and me, too. Why should we?  Memorial Day is a holiday!  We don't have to work.  It makes for a long weekend and we love it!  Sure, everybody hangs an American flag on the front of the house or raises the flag on the pole in the front yard to show patriotism. I think it's wonderful because I do the same thing. 

It's the meaning behind Memorial Day that we, and I'm including myself, don't stop and honor enough. Preach, preach, preach.  We've all heard it before. We should remember those who gave their lives for our country. Easy words to say, but not always practiced.  This is big kid, serious stuff and it is important for us to teach the meaning behind the holiday to our children and grandchildren. 

Those saints in Heaven, waiting for us, and they are, indeed, saints,  ask nothing of us, but I believe we can do so much better than nothing for them.  So let's turn off the TV, the phone and the mindless music, find a quiet place in the midst of our chaos and offer recognition and gratitude to those men and women who, over generations, have cared enough about the United States of America to die so we might have these long holiday weekends. When the saints glance down upon us, I'm thinking their smiles will broaden as they see our heads bowed in sincere thanksgiving for their gift of freedom to us. 

(photo of Spanish American War graves taken at Bosque Bello Cemetery, Fernandina Beach, Florida)

#MemorialDay, #gratitude, #USA, #grateful, #AmeliaIsland, #Fernandina, #holiday, #longweekend, #cemetary

The Lone Flower

As I thought of what to write for Mother's Day and looked through my photos, I found this picture. It is a single blossom, like a wild petunia, if there is such a thing, in full bloom.  All alone on the hot sand of our Amelia Island,  I snapped the shot on the way home from church one Sunday morning. I thought how pretty and proud it was at the time and how very strong it was to endure the blistering sun.  I didn't know where I would use the picture on this blog until now. 

It reminds me of my mother, Marie, but not only my mother. To me, it represents all mothers.  The white of it is her purity of heart.  And oh, how a mother does adore her family-  This flower stands strong and alone like happens so often.  Mothers can and often are the ones who must remain power-filled when others collapse from the strain of life.  The matriarchs hold us together for a mother is ever dependable. The vine in the picture is her lifeline to family and friends. The green leaves represent her children and husband and parents and siblings and relatives. It doesn't take a lot to satisfy a mother. Like this flower, no luxurious soakings in spring water and no expensive food or fertilizer is needed to keep her going. She is beautiful without all the frivolity because her beauty comes in the form of kindness, caring, reliability, generosity and pure love. 

So what does your mother want more than flowers or jewels or her favorite restaurant, all of which are lovely gifts, don't get me wrong.  I dare say, as a mother, and speaking to other mothers, what we want is our family about us.  Everybody is busier today than they were yesterday.  That is the way of the world. And often many miles separate us. Still, we all think of our mothers on and off throughout the hours.  When we do, stop a moment and call to say hi. Dash off a text or, what is better, if you can't be with your mom, hand write and snail mail a note to her. She will prize it forever.

Living or gone home to her God, treasure her in thought and deed. Take that straight path she taught you to follow as a child because every day is Mother's Day, or should be, if you think about it.  


Thank you, Mom.

#Mothersday, #holiday, #snailmail, #AmeliaIsland, #celebrate, #love, #parent, #mom, #thankyoumom

Annual Holiday Letter

It is time again to acquaint you all with the frolicking fancies which swirled around our Amelia Island family over the last twelve months.  If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you have come to expect the exciting,  grandiose and spectacular in these annual letters.  If not, may we suggest you sit down, lest you are overcome by the thrills our loved ones have experienced.  Steady yourself.  Here goes:

 

The cupboard door was left open.

 

Father won a trip for one to the North Pole.  The accommodations weren’t bad since the polar bear had just been fed.

 

A glop of something fell from the yellow pitcher into the glass of orange juice. 

The rats have moved out.  

 

In order to help with cleanup after a family dinner, Mother asked Son-in-Law where the dish cloth was.  “We use a sponge, but it smells funny,” he replied.  “You can use the pink one in the bathroom, on the floor by the toilet brush.”  Mother remembered Son-in-Law was a boy scout, so he’s always prepared.  

 

Sunday, there was no mail.

 

Daughter counted 37 glass ornaments on the Christmas tree and 18 gold plastic ice cycles.  With such acuity, she will either go into accounting or fishing line untangling.

 

The grass grew and tickled the dog’s bottom.

 

The new neighbors eat dinner.

 

The waves are wet.

 

The rug has a dark spot to the left of the  green-leafed easy chair .  Interrogations are on-going.

 

The streetlight burned out.

 

The family is changing Uncle Knuckle's nickname.  Since he shaved his back and now wears clothes, he doesn't look so much like a chimp. 

There are feathers in the blue pillow.

And so you have the details of another stupendous year in our lives.  May your future be filled with peace, harmony and issues not nearly as challenging as ours!  And please don't eat any more lint. Auntie Wanna's tongue is still stuck to her teeth because her mouth is so dry.

 

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

P.S.  Here are just a few of our Annual Letter reviews we have received over the years from fans.  We are especially proud of all the exclamation points folks have used to show their sincerity. Thank you all:

-What is the matter with you?  This is the dumbest &*^% I have ever read!!!

-Every body is royalty in some way.  You're the Queen of Stupid!

-You have wasted 30 seconds of my life!!!!!!!!