The Meaning of Christmas in a Jar of Pickles

I have two daughters - both now grown with families of their own.  Raising them was tough, I was not always able to get them everything they wanted or even needed.  For a good part of their lives, we were on food stamps, so simple things like pickles were a treat.  So much of a treat, they actually got them as 'gifts' one year in their Christmas Stockings.  As things got better, the Tradition grew - from small jars in the stocking - to the big jar of the whole dill jumbos wrapped and placed under the tree.  This is continued today - each family gets a jar and they are the one gift the Grandchildren look for under the tree at our house.

Both of my girls know what it is like to struggle raising a family.  They also know the power of simple gestures that can brighten someones life. And they are firm believers in  "Pay It Forward" , which both have done more times than anyone knows.

Today, the youngest one - Sandi - posted the following on Facebook.  Now she could have just walked away, for she truly does not have the resources to offer help.  But her heart would not allow that.

Today has already been a busy day got up went and took movies back took Libby to the school to go to atlanta. Paid the water bill swoo. But the most important thing was this lady was parked beside me and she was asking if we had to b back up at the school to pick them up and we was talking she told me she had no money for her little girl to eat on today no gas to get her this afternoon wasn't going to have Christmas for her kids I was sadden by this so I took a 10 and 5  ones I had and as soon as I turned to Libby and said here Libby said u want me to take this to her don't u mom I said yes please she went over and gave it to that lady. The woman started crying and said no I can't take this I said please take it she said thank u turned and looked at her little girl and said baby now u have money to eat on today as I was leaving the lady thanked me again I said y'all have a merry Christmas. I paid it forward for all the times I had been helped out. Not just cuz it Christmas or the time of year it is if u know me I would do this any day of the week or year thanks for reading my story. I hope it touch ur heart like it did mine and always remember there is someone out there worse off then u r and if u r meant to help them god will put them in ur path to help them.

The one thing I can say I am proud of - is somehow I have taught my girls the true meaning of Christmas - that sometimes it is the little things that matter - helping - sharing - giving.  It does not need to be anything big -sometimes a simple a jar of pickles can be the most important gift under the tree.

Lessons my Irish Mother taught me.

In my house we over-the-top celebrated some of the holidays, namely, Easter, Christmas, Memorial Day, April Fools Day, and St Patrick’s Day. St Patricks Day was the one day Mom dropped the 'wife to an Italian man' and fully embraced her Irish heratage.


Growing up with an Irish mother, you learn many things, most importantly you absolutely, positively, MUST wear Green on St Patrick’s Day. Even my Italian Dad wore an olive green work uniform that day to keep peace in the house…. And to keep the little Irish lass from finding some bright Kelly green shirt for him.

For some reason, Kelly green was the choice of shade on St Patty’s Day. For those not familiar with this, it is a bright true green…very bright. Going to school we strangely resembled a group of ’wee people’ all decked out in this screaming ‘I am Irish ’ Green.

Mom would get up early that day, like a kid at Christmas. Humming bars of “When Irish Eyes are smiling” and singing “Oh, Danny Boy, she would set out the box of Lucky Charms cereal, start the corned beef and cabbage, and make sure we all had on as much green as we could wear. And as we got older, she made sure we didn’t have on HER lucky shirt that she planned on wearing to bingo that night. ( That happened once …. My ears are still ringing from the blood curdling screech of “Blessed Mary Mother of God …Hell NO! … Not MY shirt!”)

If by chance you failed to remember what day it was, and didn’t have green on … you would get pinched. Literally. She would grab your arm and pinch the heck out of you.

The pinching is an American tradition, No one really knows how it got started, but like so many other traditions among the Irish, if you didn’t do it the world would end and seven years of bad luck would follow you till the end of days … or something like that.

Irish are very superstitious . Very, Very superstitious. Some may even call them a little paranoid. Some of the ones I have had installed into my psyche still cause my heart to race with fear of the doom that looms.

Sure, we all have heard that walking under a ladder, and breaking a mirror are sure fire ways to bring about 7 years of bad luck, but how about these?:

If you put on your clothes inside out, you must wear it like that.
(for those who remember when it was ‘cool’ to wear your sweatshirt inside out…now you know it must have been an Irishman that started that)

Itching palm means money is coming.
Itching or burning ear, someone is talking about you.
Itching nose, ‘have a fight or kiss a fool’
( Mom would piss us off by kissing one of us)

A bird flying into the house… a death in the family

Death and bad news always comes in threes
( It may take a while .. but there will be three)

Once you leave the house, it was bad luck to go back in before trip was done.
If you must, then you must sit down and take feet off the floor before leaving again.

A fork falls on the floor, company is coming. A knife falls, it will be a man, a spoon means a lady.
(Man is this one ever true!)

Never give an empty wallet or purse.

Fall on a grave, and you will be buried soon.

Brides are to wear: 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a silver sixpence in your shoe'.

you smell roses when none are around someone is going to die

If you spill salt, throw a pinch of the spilt salt over your shoulder
( go ahead .. try ignoring this and see what happens)

And never … EVER put shoes on the table.
( guarenteed the end of the world)

So in honor of my Mother, I shall do the ‘Wearing of the green” ,have corned beef and cabbage, sing a few lines of Danny Boy … and absolutely make sure no shoes are on any table. And with a little luck, maybe my palm will itch.

To all, I wish you a Blessed St Patty’s Day, and Erin Go Braugh.

Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
 
Till we meet again Mom..... 111