thanks Jo
“Anything more or less is bad luck.” – My Grandfather
It is a funny thing, memory. I have been saying seven “White Rabbits” (see earlier post) for years only to write a blog post and find out from my Father that it was eight!
Now this is big news. What if I have been operating with bad luck for all of this time? What if he was right? My Grandfather was very superstitious. He wouldn’t pass on the stairs or seat 13 at the table, and he certainly would never have allowed his Granddaughter to say the wrong number of rabbits. What if I have been sabotaging my own efforts by lacking a rabbit?
If the rabbits are part of the story, what else have I been sabotaging without conscious knowledge of things? My reactions to grief surprised me recently. I have to ask what else is there in life that I just do, believing that that is the right thing? And how many things do I do without questioning why? Why rabbits? Is it really lucky? Or am I just enjoying remembering my Grandfather once a month and feeling a little bit connected to him? Did he know why there needed to be eight or was it something his mother taught him? Do lucky rabbits have a place in my personal mythology?
Yes, as long as my luck changes. Because what if he was right?
So it’s eight “White Rabbits” to you this holiday season then. (Good catch Dad!)
“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” – Dr. Seuss
Somehow it is already December. Where did November go? One of the running jokes that a few blog friends of mine have is the question: “If I didn’t blog about it, did it really happen?” I kind-of feel that way about November’s blurry passing.
But it is December now! Month of Gingerbread Lattes, unashamed shopping, a trip to Canada, crossed fingers and plans for the whole new 2011 we are about to be gifted with. I have always loved this time of year, and the moment my Mom’s Christmas angel mobile goes up things just seem a little bit better.
One year I was sick with Mono (that’s Glandular Fever to you Europeans) for the entire month of December and was unable to do anything except lie on the couch and watch the vast array of television specials that grace North American television over Christmas. In my drug-enhanced semi-conscious state I realized that every single one of them offered the same moral: keep Christmas in your heart all year. Or, if you don’t speak Dickens: be nice to each other and believe in goodness all year round. It’s not a bad lesson to learn, even if it was from the Grinch, Gonzo, Frosty and Bill Murray.
My Grandfather used to say “White Rabbit” 7 times on the first of the month. He never told us why, but Grandma whispered that it was good luck. So, (although it is now the 2nd) I wish you all of the power that 7 “White Rabbits” can bestow on this, the most crazy month of the year. I hope that you can keep your head, enjoy the occasional treat (I can recommend a Gingerbread Latte with 1/2 the syrup,) not spend too much and that you can remember to keep the love and the goodness in your heart no matter where you find yourself.
Oh, and I promise to write here a lot more!
xo
