[NFBNJ] Blind Vine's Holiday MessageThanks To Debbie Azzarone

[joe ruffalo]

     Greetings to all!
The following email message is from Debbie Azzarone, a member in the NFBNJ 
and a student at Vision Loss Alliance.
Her email message says it all!
Warmly,
Joe

**


Hello Viners,



The busy days of shopping have come to an end. The cookies have been baked,
and the plans have been arranged. The only thing that is left is to enjoy
the wonder of the holiday season. For some it's Christmas, others it will be
Hanukkah, and for still others there are holidays being celebrated all over
the world by many different cultures.

That's what makes the world and it's people so special. I bet if you were to
study the calendar, there wouldn't be a season of the year that isn't
special to people. A time that joy comes to our hearts and homes. A time we
yearn to share with our loved ones for sure, but a time we want the world to
join us in celebration of what we believe to be sacred and so very
wonderous.



Fair or not, in this country at least, this particular time of year is taken
over mostly by Christmas. We see the most displays of that in our shops and
malls, our decorated homes and town centers, and by the gaping hole in our
bank accounts, but is the meaning of Christmas or Hanukkah really so
different in their essence? Are they not both the celebration of a miracle?

It has become troubling that some would like it if we were to ignore both in
public places so as not to offend anyone.

I say bring them on! Bring them all on in their finest glory! Seek out all
the reasons we mortals have  to celebrate! Place an ad in the papers from
all over the world and invite each and every person to share the stories
behind their joy no matter what day in the calendar they fall! Let us
transfer joy to one another every minute of every day to each other!

There is no such thing as too much love, too much joy, too much celebrating
of blessings.



I have to tell you a story that happened this weekend in my town. Mind you,
my town is known for its diversity, so this was quite troubling to me, for
one minute that is.but once the story that started it all on Facebook began
gathering more and more comments, my faith was restored.



It happens that a local luncheonette named Benny's hosts a breakfast with
Santa each year. It happens to be across the street from one of the Temples
in our town, of which we have many.



Santa, a local gent who does this each year, and one of his elves, who are
middle school children who sign up to assist, stepped outside just as the
Temple's congregants were coming out of the building. The people from the
Temple and Santa and his elf began smiling and waving at each other. Wishes
for a Happy Hanukkah and a Merry Christmas were being passed and forth
across that street, and it was a wonderful sight to see. That is if it was
something you wanted to see instead of turning it into something else, which
is what one passer by decided to do and brought it to Facebook to start
trouble.

It didn't work. On the contrary, it ended up being a very special post.



It went something like this.

Poster: "I drove passed the Temple today on Saddle River Road, and saw Santa
and an Elf standing across the street waving and saying Merry Christmas to
children getting out of services with their families. How insensitive, Was
this necessary? Why stand there and do this to children whose parents now
have to explain why Santa doesn't come to their homes yet again."



I'll have you know, that poster wasn't Jewish, wasn't coming from the Temple
or from the breakfast, just a person who must get pleasure from starting
trouble where none exists. A person driving passed and chose to find
something sinister instead of something beautiful.



Very quickly the comments started pouring in. Comments from the people from
the Temple, people at the breakfast, and people who choose to see love when
they see it.

The mom of the little girl who got to be one of Santa's Elves told her mom
who reported what she said on FB "Santa and I went outside for a minute and
were waving to everyone driving by. The people coming from the Temple
started waving to us, and we waved back. They called to us Merry Christmas,
and we called back Happy Hanukkah. What did we do wrong?"

Mothers and Fathers from the Temple began replying too. They said "We waved
to each other. our kids loved seeing Santa, and when I see Santa in a store,
or riding through town in a firetruck, you can be sure I'll be waving again.
What is wrong with you? This was just lovely."

The comments continued, increasing in the pleasure of the act that took
place, and all the personal stories of people sharing holiday celebrations
with friends of another faith, and how they look forward to doing that each
year in each other's homes.



If you've ever been on Facebook, you would imagine that the comments can get
ugly.

They didn't.

You can imagine that there will be a 50/50 split of reactions with people
insisting their way of looking at this is the only correct way.

There wasn't.

Between the comments and the replies there had to be close to 100 responses
delighting in knowing that the Jews of our Town and the Christians in our
town have mutual respect for each other, and only wish to share their joy
and learn about each other.

The thread gave me goosebumps, and a whole lot of pride in my town, for at
that one moment on a Saturday afternoon, the people involved demonstrated to
each other the true meaning of the holidays. The passing of joy and love to
one another.

Invitations to strangers who may be alone for their respective holidays were
offered by some on that FB thread. It was a beautiful thing.

A post that was meant to divide did the exact opposite. Our love for each
other was glorified.

That, my friends, is the miracle of Christmas and Hanukkah.

The candles and lights of both holidays bring light to darkness, and if
there's one thing we can count on and be sure of, light will always overcome
the darkness.

Let yours shine!



>From all of us at the Blind Vine, we wish you the happiest of holidays, the
joys of sharing, and the peace we all pray for.

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back
to you when you have forgotten the words." -Unknown

We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference
Joe Ruffalo, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
973 743 0075
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
www.nfbnj.org
Raising Expectations To Live The Life You Want!

Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.
Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking
www.carshelpingtheblind.org
or call 855 659 9314


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