Quiet Beginnings – A Christmas Reflection on Hope and New Life.

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Merry Christmas everyone! As we begin the journey through the Christmas season, I wanted to share a reflection that has been in my heart for the past few weeks. It began, strangely enough, with a feeling of fear. During the season of Advent, as I prepared to celebrate Christ’s coming at Christmas and in my daily life, I experienced the fear that I would not recognize His presence. As I reflected on the Nativity, I feared that I too, would miss the long-awaited answers to my prayers, because they might appear in unexpected ways, people or places.

I thought about God’s people and their ardent longing for the Messiah. How long did they wait and hope that He would come? Prophets foretold His coming: this Son of God, of the line of the great king David, who would come to save His people. The scribes were even able to tell Herod where the newborn king was to be born: Bethlehem. Yet, with all of that foreknowledge, who recognized Him? There He was, a precious, vulnerable baby boy, quietly born in a stable in Bethlehem, because there was no room at the inn, and his parents were not royalty, by earthly standards. There was no room for the King of Kings, among the very people He lovingly came to save. Imagine, God, the grand designer and creator of the universe, did not hold Himself aloof from us, but instead, He inserted Himself intimately into the fabric of His creation. He came to help us clean up the mess we made with our choices, with blood (His own blood), tears and love. Yet, only a few shepherds and some wise men following a star were there to welcome Him. I wonder how many times that I too, have missed God’s presence.

The greatest event in history was heralded many months before the Nativity, when the Archangel Gabriel came to bring old Zechariah the shocking news that his wife would conceive and bear a son. His wife, Elizabeth, who was old and barren, would give birth. After so many years of waiting, how could this happen? In the valley of dry bones, God asked the prophet Ezekiel “Can these bones live?” Zechariah wondered “Can this old, barren couple bring forth new life?” But God breathed life into them and the greatest prophet, John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for the Messiah, came to be. The Messiah, Jesus, breathes life into situations where we feel dead, trapped, stuck…we ask “God, can these bones live?” God says “Doubt no longer, but believe,” and appears, not always in a mighty earthquake, but in a gentle breeze, breathing life into our dryness.

Like the quiet birth of a baby to seemingly insignificant parents in a stable, sometimes the answers to our prayers begin in small, silent ways. Sometimes, the great turnaround in a tough situation begins with the gentle breath of God bringing new life into our numbness. Sometimes the answer appears exactly where we knew it would (they knew the Saviour would be born in Bethlehem) but it doesn’t look like we think it should. Will we recognize God when He comes to bring us new life? Will we welcome His presence like the shepherds and Magi or will we seek to get rid of His presence, like Herod? Would we even notice the small beginning that heralds the improvement we’ve been waiting for?

We need hope; we need to prophesy over the valley of dry bones in our lives and ask God to breathe over them. This year has been challenging for everyone, and some of us (myself included) may be feeling an exhaustion that is more than physical. Maybe we are looking at certain dry, seemingly lifeless areas in our lives, or our dreams and prayers that we are still waiting to see fulfilled, and we are asking “Can these dry bones live?” Dare we allow ourselves to love, to dream, to hope, to work hard, to trust and to believe again, in the face of such dryness? During this Christmas season, let us allow the Messiah to answer that question for us; let us open our eyes and hearts to perceive His presence and feel His gentle breath of new life.

May we all experience a renewal of hope in this Christmas season.

The Unicorn of Awesomeness.

“Jingle Jangle” : A Festive Reminder of Simple Truths.

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Hello friends! Have you ever tried something for the first time and instantly decided that it deserved the high praise of being one of your “all time favourites?” That is exactly what happened the first time (because there was a second time, and believe me, there will be many more times) I looked at the original Netflix movie: “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.” I fell in love instantly; it was a whimsical delight, filled with hope, Christmas cheer, toe-tapping musical numbers and talented, intelligent characters. It brought back that magical hopeful feeling that I experienced around Christmastime as a child. It was as if a refreshing, hopeful, festive breeze blew out from the screen, which, was much needed in this difficult year (I’m looking at you, 2020, with a stern facial expression). However, it was more than just an enjoyable, feel-good movie; even in the midst of all the magic, certain lines/situations resonated with me and reminded of simple truths in a very powerful way. These messages are what I want to focus on in this post.

Don’t throw your integrity away on the way to your dreams.

The storyline for Gustafson, Jeronicus’ apprentice, was both aggravating (he was one of the villains of the story, after all) and heartbreaking. In a moment of weakness and despair, he allowed his heart to be poisoned by doubt, which lead to his theft of Jeronicus’ intellectual property and greatest invention. It was a heartbreaking act of betrayal that caused great pain to the Jangles. While he appeared to be successful for many years, it was really stolen success. Externally, it may have appeared that he achieved his dream, but he didn’t achieved his potential or became a great inventor. Then, when he was revealed as a fraud and a thief, all of his stolen success was stripped away. In the scene where former apprentice and boss finally confronted each other after many years, Jeronicus gave Gustafson the Christmas present he meant to give him on the night of his betrayal: the part that Gustafson needed to make his invention work. Jeronicus looked at him sadly and said “I would have shown you everything, if only you had waited.”

While it is easy to look at that storyline and come to the usual conclusion that “What goes around comes around,” and “evil never wins,” I’d like to reflect on a deeper message here. Consider this: Gustafson could’ve gotten exactly what he wanted: help and guidance from the greatest inventor ever, so that he too could have become a great inventor in his own right. Then, the town would have had two great inventors (more toys and fun to go around!), his success would have been truly his own (not borrowed or stolen) and he would have unlocked his full potential. Instead, in his impatience and lack of trust, he sacrificed his integrity, hurt a family and never truly achieved his dream. He thought that he was taking a shortcut to success and righting a perceived wrong, but that was not the case.

I soon got to thinking about how many times I, in my impatience or despair, snatched at something I really wanted, without regard to how I was going about it. As a Catholic Christian, I can imagine God looking at me sadly, and saying similar words, “I would’ve given you what you wanted, if only you had waited.” Maybe I wasn’t ready to receive it, maybe I needed to grow and prepare more, or maybe I just needed to wait and trust God. Instead, I gave in to despair and impatience, and, like a spoiled, distrustful child, I tried to snatch it from Papa God’s hands. How many of us have done the same?

Even from a non-religious standpoint, there is a lesson to be learned here. Our dreams may be good, but the paths we take to achieve them may not be. Success gained from stepping all over others, cheating or sacrificing our integrity is not real success. Our fullest potential cannot be reached via nefarious means. Furthermore, stolen success is not really ours, and can be easily taken away when our deeds come to light.

“The square root of possible is me.” – Journey

I loved Journey’s confidence and intelligence. I wish I could get this quote printed on a t-shirt. She was such a lovable, sprightly character, so full of love, belief in herself and her grandfather. Her belief in her grandfather’s abilities helped him to rediscover his long-lost gift for inventing and her steadfast love help mend the broken relationship between her grandfather and mother. She really was a well-written, lovable, amazing character. This quote is a line from a song she sings about believing in herself and reaching for her dreams despite obstacles. It ties in well with the theme of “belief” that was interwoven throughout the movie.

Journey’s belief is what pushed her to visit her grandfather, which had so many positive results for their family. She believed in her unique gifts and desired to use them, and this led her to Jangles And Things, a place that she knew she would fit in well. I also found it interesting that the Buddy 3000 toy needed belief to power on. It powered on because Journey and Edison believed that it could work, and it shut off when Jeronicus, who was in the grips of cynicism and despair, entered the room. However, when Jeronicus finished the song where he bemoaned his lost family and talent, Buddy briefly powered on, probably signaling that the spark of belief had been ignited in his heart. It became evident that the greater the belief, the greater Buddy’s abilities (the flying thing looked like so much fun, to be honest).

I thought this was a timely reminder, given the year we’ve had. Who would feel like believing that anything good could happen, after so many months of difficulty? Even beyond that, sometimes we lose belief in ourselves. But belief is so important; I think the first step towards achieving anything, is it so believe that it is possible to be successful. When you begin with the thought that you can’t succeed, you lose motivation quickly, you might miss helpful opportunities and sometimes you even unknowingly self-sabotage. I can think of a few times in my life where I did poorly at something I could’ve excelled at, simply because of my lack of belief that I could excel. So could someone please put this quote from Journey on a t-shirt? Thanks.

Share your sparkle by encouraging others.

Edison looked up to Jeronicus and longed to be a great inventor like him. In a heartwarming scene, he proudly told Jeronicus that he invented the steering apparatus that helped guide him and Journey to safety. Jeronicus, who by this time, had restored his own hope and belief, complimented Edison, whose face lit up. At that point I thought about how a word of encouragement from the people we look up to, can really be a helping hand along the way.

I know that, as much as I’d like to think I’ve improved my self-confidence, genuine compliments and words of encouragement from mentors, experts in the field, and teachers (like my former English teacher) really pushed me to try new things, or keep working when I wanted to give up. There is something you are good at, and there could be someone (a child or someone who has now begun to learn the skill) who admires you. A timely word of encouragement or good advice when they ask, goes a long way. Share your sparkle, so they can sparkle too.

I really think that Jingle Jangle was a wonderful, whimsical, positive, diverse movie. I loved everything: the plot, the characters, the costumes, the music…it captured a childhood innocence and exuberance that I haven’t experienced from modern movies in long time. This movie is definitely unicorn approved.

Peace, love and sparkles,

The Unicorn of Awesomeness.

A Unicorn Christmas Cleaning and Decorating Checklist

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Hello friends! Here we are in the lovely month of December, preparing for Christmas, aka the most wonderful time of the year. Some of us (not me though, so I should perhaps say some of you) have already begun the time-honoured tradition of deep cleaning and decorating our spaces for Christmas. Some of us plan to begin soon (I fall into this group). However, whether your cleaning style resembles the tortoise (slow and steady) or the hare (spurts of rushed activity), I think we can all agree that getting everything in order for Christmas can feel like a race against time. Now, while I’m no expert when it comes to physically running, I feel slightly more qualified when it comes to races of the metaphorical variety. I’d also like to think of myself as a recovering hare, though not exactly a tortoise (in true unicorn-fashion, I’m a unique blend of both, I suppose). So this year, I’ve decided to put together a Christmas cleaning checklist, because:

1. It never hurts to be prepared.
2. As we say in Trinidad, I’m trying to “take in front before in front takes me”
3. You may find this list helpful, or, at the very least, amusing.

So, without further ado, here is my “Unicorn Christmas Cleaning Checklist.”

Unicorn Christmas Cleaning Checklist:

✅ Make a plan. Schedule and organize which tasks will be done on which days. Try to lump similar tasks together; it’ll increase your efficiency. It may also be useful to discuss and assign tasks before, so everyone is clear who has which responsibility, and when it needs to be completed. That way, nobody can come on kitchen-cleaning day and say they made plans to go out, because they didn’t know when and what they had to do.

✅ Plan your decor. Are you going with a theme or a colour scheme? Will you only be reusing decorations/rugs/lights/curtains/table runners that you already own or do you need to purchase/sew/ make a few things? Are all of your Christmas lights working or do you need replacement bulbs? (Ah, the frustration that comes with the search for the elusive, miscreant blown bulb in the string of lights…so characteristic of this time of year).

✅ Inventory and stock up on cleaning supplies. A few days before you begin the cleaning process, go through your cleaning supplies (cleaning chemicals, mops, buckets, vacuum accessories, furniture polish, gloves, cleaning cloths, brooms, garbage bags etc.) and ensure that you have enough. I’d imagine that running out of furniture polish halfway through polishing the dining table would be rather frustrating.

✅ Safety equipment. Read the labels on any chemicals and equipment you plan to use. Some may require the use of safety goggles, or a mask, or gloves. Some activities require closed-toe shoes. If you’re going to be outside in the sun, apply sunscreen and wear a hat/visor/cap if you’d like.

✅ Check the weather forecast. This applies mainly for outdoor cleaning and decorating activities. You may need to rearrange the schedule if inclement weather threatens your plans.

✅ Meal prep. You’ll need hearty meals on heavy cleaning days, and chances are that neither you nor anybody else will have the energy, headspace or even time, to do much cooking. Either meal prep, cook extra the day before, or plan on buying at least one meal that day (or assign less cleaning tasks to one person and let him/her be in charge of cooking that day).

✅ Sleep. I don’t know about you, but I’m not my best self when I’m sleep-deprived, and in order to clean, I need to feel energized (a lack of crankiness helps too). Get enough rest the night before.

✅ Music. Mary Poppins said (or rather, sung, an entire song in fact) “A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down, in the most delightful way,” and ever since my childhood, this has been one of my mottos. No, I’m not suggesting that you literally eat a spoonful of sugar. Her point was to find the element of fun in any job. My way of adding fun to cleaning, is to add music: the liveliest, “danciest” music I can find (I usually stick to Christmas-themed music like parang, soca parang or fun, preparing-for-Christmas-type songs around this time). Sometimes I put on the radio on one of my favourite stations, but most times, I either find or create a playlist beforehand. If you’ve never ended up waltzing around with a mop or dancing while polishing, have you really lived? (Just kidding, you have lived, but seriously, try it).

✅ Headphones or a wireless speaker. These help with the music from the previous point. You can also keep headphones handy in case you need to have a conversation on the phone, but you want to keep your hands free to continue cleaning.

✅ The right outfit. Unicorns always try to dress appropriately for the occasion. In this case, old, comfy clothes that you can move around in and don’t mind if they get a little dirty, are the perfect outfit. I’d also suggest non-skid shoes/slippers if you have to do any mopping/water-related cleaning. Oh, if you’re wondering what the best hairstyle is for this occasion, it’s my personal favourite: up-and-out-of-the-way.

✅ Nail care. I love nail polish, but I’m not about to put on a fresh coat right before deep cleaning anywhere. I’ll save that for afterwards. Also, wear gloves if you need to, and cream your hands when you’re done. You’re welcome.

✅ Hydration. You’ll get thirsty, so make sure you have lots of drinking water easily accessible. You could even fill up a big reusable bottle and keep it close by, so you don’t forget to hydrate. Coconut water is also great, especially if you will be sweating a lot. I sometimes drink a carbonated, non-alcoholic, malt beverage (like Smalta or Malta), preferably ice-cold, during the day because it’s both refreshing and energizing.

✅ Patience. I’m not entirely sure how you would stock up on this before, but I’m sure sleep, food and being both organized and prepared would tip the scales in favour of everyone being more patient with each other.

✅ A yummy treat. I like to sit down at the end of a cleaning day to eat something I enjoy, either for dinner or as a post-cleaning snack.

✅ A stretching and winding-down routine. Okay, so this is actually for after you’ve finished cleaning for the day. Sometimes, after a particularly intense day of cleaning, some muscle soreness/aches make themselves known. Or they may magically make themselves felt the next day. Either way, I find that doing some gentle stretching helps to alleviate/prevent this. Additionally, have you ever been so tired, but still felt wired, and couldn’t fall asleep? Stretching and doing something to help you wind down (prayer, reading, listening to soothing music, lighting a candle and relaxing etc.) after a full day can help you to fall asleep faster.

I’m sure most of us know all of these already, but I thought these suggestions could be a fun, helpful, and hopefully mildly amusing reminder. Happy cleaning and decorating!

Peace, love and sparkles,

The Unicorn of Awesomeness.