Musings on Wawa, Nike and Veterans

I woke up to a cold day in southeast Pennsylvania. The temperatures were in the low 20s. Not officially winter according to the calendar. Try telling that to the homeless family on the streets of Philadelphia.

Nine day until Christmas. The formal day anyway - December 25th.

Yet I wonder about those people drawn to health care or people - related professions, like teaching, counseling, ministry - where the holiday giving spirit is present all year long.

In our neck of the woods, it is hard to blink twice without passing a Wawa convenience store along the roadside. If you are unfamiliar with this store, it sells everything from soup to nuts. The sandwiches are really quite good and the coffee is fresh all day long. Now the cost is not cheap. So don't be Wawa... whhhining about that aspect

I will admit I have stopped in Wawa for quite a few reasons in the course of a day:

** They have gas tanks and are present in the most unlikely places.

** Their coffee is so good. Where we are there is a store within walking distance from our home, we have been grateful for this morning coffee when our neighborhood power and electricity has been out due to storms.

** The store typically has a parking lot. I have met girlfriends when getting together to carpool.

**I even felt safe enough to wheel a homeless veteran across the street to the parking lot curb by the dumpster, from his home on a concrete divider in the heart of the city, to change his leg bandages with a bit more dignity and privacy.

Yesterday, as I was driving to see my sister, I heard a song, "Christmas at the Wawa", on the radio by a local group called the Tin Bird Choir. The lyrics give perspective on what our American families are going through, especially at holiday times.

© Maria Jordan (revised October, 2014)

I sure do love that slogan. Short and simple.

My husband works with folks who are one step away from homeless in his role as a social worker. From Fall through February, we collect excess / outgrown coats / warm items of clothing from family / friends. Some are kind enough to purchase brand new items as part of their holiday shopping.

Yesterday I witnessed a woman in line purchase a pair of Nike sneakers for a little girl, speaking of the expression "just do it"! She was spending thirty dollars for a young stranger who had identified this on a wish list for her church.

Short and simple, this is the holiday spirit in its truest of intentions. For me to observe the beautiful and loving interaction between the adult mother and daughter who were making the purchase brought tears to my eyes to the point that I had to look away. This was a moment that needed to be forever captured for others to remember the essence of giving from the heart.

This is a sub - title that can surely put the fear of God in me since my near death experience in 1999.

Yet, sure enough, I was recently in the neighborhood Post Office standing in a long holiday line. Call me strange but I enjoy making small talk with those I am standing around ...as long as everyone is cool!

A man was clearly on the edge because of a misplaced package. That made all of us rather edgy in line and we breathed a collective sigh of relief as he stormed out.

Then a sweet gentleman apologized as he had a couple packages to send to his son who would not make it home from overseas for the holidays. Several of us had moist eyes and all of us asked him to send our thanks for serving our country, especially at this time of year that is meant to be spent with family and friends.

I have confused a couple dear friends who will no doubt reading this hub, when I sent out my Christmas letter. Therefore, I have decided to talk about the Mysterious & Miraculous Book project as I finish up my holiday musings with you all in HubVille.

These books, which are wonderful collections of true tales of the paranormal and supernatural, are compiled, edited and published by a team of individuals who are donating their time and expertise to help our Veterans through such programs as K9s for Wounded Warriors and Supporting Homeless Veterans.

I have personally given many copies of both books to my family and friends as gifts. For me, it serves three purposes:

** I get to give a wonderful gift to a dear friend at a reasonable cost.

** I get to help a wonderful organization that is close to my heart.

** I have been so bold as to request that my friends return the favor and purchase a copy or two of the Mysterious & Miraculous series for someone they love, preferably a Veteran.

In time, the Legacy Scribes hope to have enough proceeds to be able to publish some hard copies of these books. Your support and sharing of our efforts go a long way in helping us reach our goals.

Hoping you and your loved ones have a happy and peaceful Christmas. May 2014 be healthy and joyful for you. Thank you for the support you give me all year.

Stop by my website and check out what I have been up to @ www.marcoujor.com I would love to send you a free gift of my writing if you take a peak in my Book Store and drop me a line, let me know what appeals to you. All my best, mar