Up The Creek Without A Paddle
Happy Birthday Jesus the Christ
by Terry Toole

This edition changes our year to the 109th since Grandma Zula Brown Cook Toole founded this newspaper back in 1897. I guess that makes us the oldest established business in the county. Thursday of this week on my birthday is the beginning of winter ,and it starts giving us a little more light each day.

When I get to thinking of the real reason for Christmas, it really makes me ashamed of myself and what I do.

A friend of mine came as close as you can in this day and time to doing what I was taught we should do at Christmas time or all the time. Nelle Kinney would start early begging the merchants and churches around Colquitt to give gifts, cakes, cookies and drinks for the state mental hospital that was in Bainbridge several years ago. She would hold Christmas parties for the residents in each of the cottages. It took a lot of folks and even more begging to pull the Christmas parties together each year until the facility was closed.

When you gave, participated or did both for the residents’ parties, you really knew what Christmas was about. Most of those who received the gifts and

enjoyed the parties didn't know who gave them, but for a short time, they knew someone cared about them. Most of the time those who helped with the parties and gift giving were not thanked, but when we left that place, we had the Spirit of Christmas for the rest of the year.

Nelle died this past year. She had gotten in bad health. Death was a relief as it is when you are ready to go on to better things and places.

Nelle was one of two women in my life who might have been a bit jealous of me. For years, I would pick her up on Sunday morning to go to Sunday school and church. She loved the Colquitt United Methodist Church and the people almost as much as she did her Lord. I would also go by and pick up Linda Shoemaker to go to Sunday school and church. She loved her church and people about as much as Nelle did.

Both these ladies loved and appreciated me picking them up each week, but I could feel a bit of jealousy from them both as we rode to church. They were cordial, but cool to each other, summer or winter. I don't know of any other

women in my life who were jealous of me. We lost them both in the same year. I know they both look down and laugh at me and themselves. They, like most of us were human, but both Godly women.

Don't get me wrong, Christmas is especially for family, friends and those you love, but we get more out of giving to those who can't give back.

It seems that it gets harder for some of us to realize that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Christ Jesus. This is the most important event in the history of man. The rest of the Christmas celebration has been added by man, some good, some bad.

I guess that if anything, for only a short time, it makes us love one another a little more, it is good. That is what Christ has taught us that is second only to loving God.

My Christmas wish is that the sick be healed and the lonely be shown friendship. May this Christmas bring love, peace and the blessings of the Christ Child to you and to each of your family and loved ones. May all of the blessing of this Holy Day last you through the coming new year.

Merry Christmas to all!