“…when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”
Are the stockings hung by the chimney? Are the children nestled all snug in their beds? There’s always a lot of hustle and bustle this time of year. I’ve been busy making most of my gifts and neatly wrapping presents for kids in the family. I’ve been busy with a lot of little things in preparation for the holidays. Regardless of any religious or spiritual beliefs, stepping outside of it all, what I am thankful for is nothing that can be bought. I could easily step away from this place and walk away with nothing yet everything all at the same time. The perfect example to illustrate my point here is actually from this very morning, at the A.M. hour of 4:30…
As I had “just settled down for a long winter’s nap,” I woke up to a rustling. Of course, I knew no Saints were visiting me early or anything like that. Instead, I had captured……the mouse! Yes, this old place of mine has mice off and on and I don’t believe in deathtraps for them. After all, they, too, are living creatures just like us. It was months ago that I called my dad up to explain my latest predicament, not only did we have mice, we had really smart mice. My dad is also an artist, though he probably wouldn’t admit it, but as a result of such, he is a very creative inventor. As a Christmas gift, he crafted and shipped several variations of safe traps for our “educated mice.” What can I say? With a little parmesan cheese, they have been quite a success. This A.M. hour I collected yet another mouse friend and transferred the little beating heart over to “Teapot Hotel” (my cozy teapot equipped with bedding for safe keeping and comfort through the night). I named him John Maus after one of my favorite musicians (my former two mouse-mates were Lee and Roy …”Bad, bad, Lee Roy Mouse, baddest mouse in the whole dang house…”).
At the end of it all, I wish my mouse-mates well in such a big, big world, and I do have a point here with my story…that life is precious. Outside of chemicals, happiness can be a state of mind rather than a state of being. Yes, the front porch is falling off of the apartment, yes, the cabinets and drawers might be broken, and yes, on occasion, I have mice tunneling into my humble abode, but I could easily leave all of my material items behind and still walk away with everything I would ever need – myself, my life, my family, and my friends.
Regardless of what you choose to celebrate or not, celebrate life and be thankful for the small things, even the little house mice that might be running around and ruling your place at night.
Wishing Merry Holidays to you all!
♥ Emily A. Dustman
Founder & Creative Director
