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MUSINGS ON LIFE
I think; therefore, I muse
 
DIANE HUGHES • NASHVILLE, TN
WRITER, EDITOR, CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL

The typewriter: A Christmas story

12/9/2012

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On a cold Christmas night, a young girl sits eagerly waiting to take her treasured Christmas gift for a trial run. She inserts a sheet of paper and winds it around the cylinder of a shiny new Brother typewriter. It's the gift she had hoped for since her adolescent eyes first spied it during a visit to the local Western Auto store. 

She stares at the piece of paper. What should she type? A letter to a friend? A list of her favorite Top 40 songs? A birthday wish list? Perhaps a short story?

Slowly, her fingers carefully begin to tap on the keys, pecking out the title to her first work: A Christmas Story. Soon, a holiday vignette — written with the wide-eyed innocence of a 'tween —  emerges onto the page. The story sets a brief scene about gift giving, Christmas decorations, falling snow and sharing the joy of the season with loved ones. 


                           *   *   *   *   *
typewriter
My Brother typewriter. Yes, I still have it.
"A Christmas Story," reads the title on the faded sheet of notebook paper that I have gingerly removed from a small box that sits on my bedside table. As I unfold the creases to reveal the short story inside, I recall the night that I tapped it out on the keys of my brand-new typewriter.

I like to take out the piece of paper from time to time, unfold it and read it again. It demonstrates to me the power of words. Each time I take in those words, I am taken back to a long ago winter night when a little girl used her Christmas gift to create what would become a gift to her older self. And each time I read that Christmas story, I find a sense of comfort in my life choices and the inspiration to keep practicing what I love.

Why did I want the typewriter? I don't clearly remember. Perhaps I fashioned myself a budding writer even then. I remember viewing episodes of The Waltons and wistfully watching as John Boy, the aspiring writer, sat at his window in the evening light putting pen to paper. Back then, I had no way of knowing that writing would be my unique gift and become my life's work. Perhaps my mother saw a gift in me then that I had not yet realized myself. 

Recently, I was flipping through TV channels when a familiar face caught my eye. It was John Walton Jr. himself, after all these years, come to visit me again through the medium of television. Even now, I can hear the familiar refrains of the Waltons wishing each other sweet dreams. 

When I turn out the light on this December night, I will say a silent goodnight to the woman who gave me many gifts, including one that impacted my life in ways I could never have imagined. She was an angel then and is with the angels now.

Goodnight, Mama. Goodnight, writers. Goodnight, readers. Goodnight, everyone.

Is there a Christmas memory from your childhood that still takes you back in time? Did you receive a special Christmas gift that impacted your life? Please share your thoughts in the Comments. 
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Ten things my mother taught me

5/12/2012

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Each year as Mother's Day approaches, my thoughts naturally turn to the most influential woman in my life. While she's no longer with me in the physical sense, Mama's spirit lives on through the life lessons she so lovingly taught me. In honor of Mother's Day, I penned a list of 10 random things my mother taught me. Some are serious. Some are funny. All are part of who I am. 

I owe my mother a debt I can never repay. And in spite of all my flaws and the mistakes I've made along the way, I think she did a pretty good job. Despite my best efforts at times to mess up my life, the lessons Mama taught me were always with me and guiding me to eventually do the right thing. Thanks, Mom.

Now, without further ado ... and in no particular order:
Lessons from mom, mother's day
My mom holding 1-month-old me.
1. You draw more flies with honey than vinegar. 

2.
 If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. 

3. Black goes with everything. 

4. Never wear white after Labor Day (until Easter rolls around again).

5. If you play hookey or plot to run away from home, your mother WILL know. 

6. Don't wear your new pajamas; save them in case you get laid up in the hospital and need something nice to wear.

7. When scooping snow for snow cream, find the deepest bank in the yard and be careful not to scoop down too deep (or else you might collect dirt, grass and other debris). 

8. You can handle a lot more than you think you can.

9. When people are mean, kill them with kindness. 

10. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean you have to. 

P.S. To the "other mother" in my life: Cindy, thank you always for your love and support. 

What memorable lessons did you learn from your mom? Whether your mother is alive or among the dearly departed, please share your thoughts in the Comments.
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    DIANE HUGHES

    I write, edit, photograph and muse about life.

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