Christmas Letter 2021

 

Well, how’s that for a Christmas picture? After having a heart attack on September 5^th   and one stent “installed”, I began attending cardiac rehab. Three times a week I am hooked up to a little machine while I exercise. How my heart is functioning is watched by nurses who also take my blood pressure and pulse while exercising. I have no clue what the ups and downs on the chart mean, but it’s comforting to know that someone there does.

 All this makes me think about heart “attacks”. Isn’t our heart always under attack? Being a sensitive person, I know that is the case for me. A sappy movie or even a commercial, can easily bring tears to my eyes. My heart can ache when someone I know is going through something horrible. My heart feels like it’s being chiseled apart when I lose a loved one. I am reminded of the Tin Man who said, “Now I know I have a heart, because it’s breaking.”

This world has given us many attacks on our hearts—seeing cruel acts of behavior, seeing how our country keeps picking at each other, constantly at war with weapons of words, illnesses, accidents, tragedies. Our hearts are always under attack. Constant attacks can harden our hearts or make them weaker, not functioning properly. We cannot survive a diet of negativity. We need hope, love, joy, and peace (the 4 advent candles).

I’ve had a lot of emotional heart “attacks” in my life. The definitions of attacks are mostly negative in nature, but this definition, “a period of being strongly affected by something”, made me think. How many heart attacks have I had that are good in nature? --When someone says, “I love you”, when a grandchild gives you an unsolicited hug, when anyone gives you a hug, when someone gives you a sincere compliment, when children sing in a Christmas pageant, when someone brings you a meal or flowers or visits you. When I think of it that way, I have had many good heart attacks—unexpected moments of comfort or love that sneak up on the heart. I’ll take the good type any day, of course.

 I am glad I know a Great Physician who monitors all the attacks, good and bad, on my heart. He helps me maintain a healthy heart. I’ve tried to make physical changes in my life for a healthier physical heart but as I was reminded in September, we all won’t live forever. The lessons we need to follow for physical wellness can similarly be applied to our emotional wellness. Some like the Grinch, need emotional open-heart surgery.

 Here is my correlation of our heart’s physical needs to mental needs.

 Maintain good nutrition – be fed by reading His Word

Exercise – walk and live by His Word

Watch your weight—unlock the chains of guilt that are weighing you down (I love Dickens—in “A Christmas Carol” the ghost says, “I wear the chains I forged in life. I made it link by link, yard by yard…”)

Monitor your heart – Pray for guidance and forgiveness to keep on the right path

Have a good doctor –Look to God, the great physician, for advice and comfort and healing

2021 was better than 2020, but life has changed. Masks and hand sanitizer have become staples and we are always stocked up on toilet paper (though, I don’t think we ever ran out in 46 years). We got to have family gatherings and some people went on vacation (though not us). We sold one rental building—halleluiah! and after 14 months of unpaid rent (just out of spite!)  we finally had the squatters move from our other rental. The “Beatles” –George and his nephews, Paul & John (no Ringo) have been working for almost 3 months repairing and rejuvenating the atrocious mess the house was in. We are so thankful for the wonderful help Paul and John have been. We can’t wait to sell it in 2022 so George can finally officially retire from being a landlord on call 24/7 no matter where we are.

 

Our grandkids are growing not just physically but intellectually too (always amazing us) and they are growing in number—another one due in March thanks to Ben & Jess. They are such a variety of personalities. It will be interesting to see where life takes them all. I am sure God has special plans for each one of them.

Grown kids are doing well—Tiffany has been teaching 17 years now in Hartford! Ben and Jess bought a house! Dad has had his up and down medical issues but still is living in his home and attending his card games regularly.

 My most exciting news is having my book, “A Fish in a Tree” published. Silas sparked my creative juices when he told me he saw a fish in a tree. I have learned so much about the publishing process and have met some wonderful people online—my publicist, illustrator and editor. They were all great to work with. Now I am in the process of learning the marketing aspect. Phew, it’s hard to “sell yourself” but people won’t know about the book unless I put it out there. (www.dcwashingtonbooks.com or on Facebook: Deborah C Washington, Author; I’m trying Instagram but not a fan.)

This isn’t the first book I imagined being published, but I am glad it was, for my grandchildren and hope many children enjoy it. I hope it’s just the beginning, we know we all aren’t getting any younger!

In this Christmas season, when we remember the first heartbeat of a Savior born to guide us toward pure hearts and a life everlasting, we pray your heart “attacks” are the special, joyous kind in the new year. May your heart be touched by sweet blessings and happiness