Peering out the window, she sighs with relief. She is an observer today and doesn’t need to join the crowd across the street. All the hustle and bustle in the shops are stressful enough but to add to this, people circling around for too long to find the perfect parking spot. Heaven forbid today she is not working where she would be normally cutting through this lot to get to her bus for work! Yes, she has been bumped by a car before and the man just looked at her as if she was a vision! Last week a young woman was passing through a STOP sign and the lined area where she was crossing…it shocked her as well and she just stopped in front of the car, gave her the “mother look” and pointed to the stop sign. My oh my, what a way for her to start her work day! It actually shook her back to reality and that she must be extra careful this time of year. Not only must she watch out for ice patches or black ice, at stop signs or even traffic lights, there are always one or two cars that whip by as if she had no business crossing the road at a GREEN light!

Now the holidays should be seasoned with love, well wishes and harmony. But it is rarely so for too many. The less fortunate who may have just lost their job, expectant children wondering what Christmas morning will be like and mothers trying to make a feast with next to nothing are some realities too many are living. It is a time of year many youths say how they dread going back to school to hear their peers boast about their gifts and how they can’t wait for the novelty of that new tablet, racing sled or hockey equipment is over so they can feel more or less “normal” among their classmates.

For some may who may have a little more, the pressure is still on to balance all the gifts fairly among their children. The extra cost of food is quite astounding and certainly breaks the weekly budget for at least a month or so. How did her grandmother do this on her meagre old age pension?!

She sighs again praying silently…

(troiku)

wished upon a star
sundry degrees of joy – rise
with one’s presence

wished upon a star
feels a loving presence
warmth drapes her

sundry degrees of joy – rise
family and friends’ warm wishes
watch her grandson sleep

with one’s presence
and another and another
multiplies the presents

©Tournesol’2017/12/10

The Daily Post – Degree –  Daily Moments – presents of presence  (Troibun)

A Troiku is a new form of haiku created by Chevrefeuille at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai