"Diva Moments"

 Diva: A self-important person who is difficult to please (women are typically divas).

As I sit here on my couch with pain in my back, foot, leg, and neck, I ask myself was it worth it to invite my friend to spend the night at my place with her dog? Last year I had stayed in her beautiful home back in the Spring and Fall. It was the perfect retreat to stay off the beaten path and be surrounded by nature so this time I felt it was my turn to have my friend come for a visit.

It was a disaster from the beginning. First she was upset because she saw me get off the bus and right away assumed I'm still working at the same company. She told me several times to quit but the bills pile up so I was scared to quit. She was right, I had taken the bus to and from work and I was working the same position for the same company even though I had promised to quit to find something more meaningful. I guess she could have been more understanding but she wasn't. She said to me "If you want me to spend the night you need to buy me these stress relief products. I can drive you to the store to buy them. I need these stress products or I'm not staying here with my dog Skyy." Well....being that she drove almost an hour to visit me I obliged and spent more than I wanted to on her stress products.

When she came inside my condo I helped her sort things out and offered her some chai tea. She complanied it wasn't warm enough in the condo and when I cranked up the heat, she said she couldn't bear the heat. Although she liked my condo, she felt it needed work, yes improvements that really aren't in my budget since I already put quite a bit of money into improvements. We sipped on chai tea and now it was time for me to make dinner.

I prepared an Indian Seafood stir fry dish that she said was too spicy. I had to give her a spinach artichoke dip to change the taste. She liked the dish but couldn't stand the spice and yet I did tell her that I wanted to make her an Indian dish since she doesn't eat Indian food and it would be something different for her to try. Personally I didn't think there was much spice at all but I did respect her comment. While she was eating she complained that my floor needs to be mopped, I need to install my windows with more plastic, and I need to get rid of my shelves. She was shocked that I don't own a microwave and said "You should be ashamed of yourself, not to have a microwave." (Sorry, I have never owned a microwave and never will).

She was up all night complaining she couldn't sleep and was eager to leave the next day to go home to bed. The night before I had helped her carry a heavy dog crate up three flights of stairs. In the morning she was insistent that I made coffee for her with her coffee beans not mine because she only drinks Starbucks. After I made breakfast for her I had to help her carry the same dog crate to her car down three flights of stairs. Little did I know that I had pulled some muscles and the next day my body was in pain, I could hardly walk. I had to leave work early from the unbearable pain yesterday and I'm still in pain this very moment.

Was it worth having my friend the diva over? No, it wasn't. I spent too much time pleasing her every request that it burned me out. By the time she left I needed the $40.00 worth of stress free products I had bought her. I think she could have been nicer. She lives with her Mother and isn't on her on own like me. I'm trying my best to survive and be self-sufficient so I didn't need "Diva Moments" with my friend. Lesson learned....don't over please anyone, it can make you crazy. We are meant to help and serve others and be genuine friends but when someone is as demanding and critical as my friend was I ask myself, is she really a friend?

Reflecting on "Christmas Moments"

For those that celebrate Christmas, there's something extremely special at this time of year when people around the globe celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. As we all know it's a time to gather with family & friends, exchange presents, indulge in tasty beverages and food, and attend church services. Sometimes we wish for something special to sprinkle upon our lives when "faith and hope" are intertwined with the Christmas season.

As you reflect back on your moments of Christmas, is there something that really touched you in a profound way? Christmas can be lonely too, for those that have no family,  no friends, no money, to spend on food or gifts. Then there are those that are sick at home or in the hospital and aren't in the mood to celebrate Christmas. Each person has a different experience with Christmas but with "faith and hope" a miracle can happen. If you've ever seen the film "Miracle on 34th Street" there's a famous line in the film that stands out. "FAITH IS BELIEVING IN THINGS WHEN COMMON SENSE TELL YOU NOT TO."

My experience of precious Christmas moments occurred in a small town named "Frankenmuth" in the state of Michigan. Frankenmuth is known as "Little Bavaria, Germany,"and at Christmas time the whole place glows with the beauty of Christmas. There's a lighted Christmas tree in the center of town with Christmas carols playing all day and night, skaters love the outdoor ice skating rink near the river, and taking a break for a cup of hot cocoa and beignets. Idyllic shops are decorated to the fullest, and they each resemble a Bavarian style home. Looking for cuckoo clocks, hand -made pretzels, shoes, chocolates, wool socks, cheese and meat, scarves and gloves? It's all in Frankenmuth. Visitors also head to the Bavarian Inn or Zehnder's, two popular restaurants the size of football fields. The interior of these establishments is breath-taking and the food is so good that it's often an hour wait for a table. Visitors can walk the sidewalks of quaint Frankenmuth and bask in the Christmas magic or take a festive carriage ride with bells jingling as the horses trot along the streets covered in white snow.

However the best part about Frankenmuth is the "Silent Night,t" chapel just one mile away from the bustling Main Street. This lovely chapel is the exact replica of the chapel in Obendorf, Austria, Europe where the carol "Silent Night" was composed and performed for the first time on December 24, 1818. In the darkness, the "Silent Night" chapel shines like stars in heaven. "Silent Night" is played 24 hours a day, in different languages, but mostly in English and German. There's a heart-warming Nativity scene at the front of the chapel and when one goes inside the chapel there's a feeling of "faith and hope." My precious "Christmas Moment" occurred when my friend James pointed to a painted angel on the wall of the chapel. "See, I told you that where there's an angel there's hope, and today we see the angel brightly shining upon us we know just how important the meaning of Christmas truly is." Tears rolled down my eyes as I gazed at that angel and listened to the beautiful voices singing "Silent Night" and knowing that the LORD is with us whether it's Christmas or not.

HOPING you all had a joyful Christmas filled with kindness and love. May your NEW YEAR be filled with "faith, good health, hope, love, and peace."