Today is December 26th aka Boxing Day aka St Stephen’s Day. Stephen was the first martyr in the Christian tradition and he died, in case you were wondering, by being stoned. If you see a weird painting of an old-timey saint with some rocks by him, that’s him.
In the 1830’s in Britain somehow the titled rich folks decided to give their servants the day after Christmas off from work. The servants had been working like crazy for weeks getting those Victorian lords and ladies through the holidays. In return the workers got a whole day off plus their bosses would give them boxes, somewhat like workers receive bonuses now. There might be a bit of actual cash. Usually the boxes contained leftovers from the holiday dinners plus clothing the gents and ladies no longer wanted.
(Insert your favorite swear word here.) How did people maintain hopes and dreams when they spent most of their energy feeding and coddling rich people? Did they actually feel grateful for an annual box of used clothing and leftovers?
Plus this: Much is known about the terrors and injustices of slavery. How did enslaved people keep on keeping on? How did they know themselves? How did they create and invent? How did they become friends and partners? In that dire situation, how did the human spirit continue to function and sometimes even blossom?
What did our fellow humans from history, our compatriots who are under siege now - what did they know and do they know that we who live comfortable lives should look at and study and emulate?
When you think about your own life in tough times, what got you through? Where did you discover courage and grace and humor?
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January Breakfast Club
This morning I had oatmeal with craisins plus pomegranate arils. Getting the aril/seeds out of a pomegranate is one of my favorite ways to reclaim toddlerhood. Eat with one’s hands. Eat with pleasure. Hose down later. (Yes, I know tips for a seemlier de-seeding but I only go there if others are around.)
Later I was thinking I was probably one of very few earthlings this morning to eat craisin pomegranate oatmeal.
You know, we don’t share breakfast triumphs and humor enough so let’s address this. January is nearly here and it’s a dang long month so I am suggesting we start a “What did you have for breakfast today?” club.
Feel free to comment with your breakfast success and jokes. I bet some of you are taking trips to interesting places. Will you eat breakfast on a tropical patio? Take a photo. Do you have birds at a feeder who eat seeds with you? Those of you who live in the south, do you get to pick your own citrus from your own trees?
Some of you choose Mountain Dew and a cigarette; I dare you to say it. Cheerios and unusual company? An egg and a book?
Either list your breakfast in the comments or send a photo to my email which is - MB at MaryBethDanielson dot com.
I will be gone a few days so will catch up with Breakfast Club news by the weekend.
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