On ‘Little’ Christmas
I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. My mother (who was from New Brunswick, Canada) believed that the Christmas tree had to be taken down on what she called “Little Christmas,” Jan. 6. On the eve of Jan. 5, we children were allowed to hang one more stocking at the fireplace. It was usually a woolen adult-sized ankle sock.
On the morning of Jan. 6, we found an orange, a small box of raisins and some dates in our stockings to represent gold, frankincense and myrrh, the gifts of the three Magi. One smallish gift, which had been held back from our Christmas stocking, was also included, such as a wooden pencil box (a much-coveted thing in those days—1940s-1950s) to take to school.
MAVOURNEEN DWYER
Fayetteville
Was day to remember
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette had three pieces last Wednesday that touched my heart: “Garden of the gods,” “Tell us,” and “I wish I may.”
The beauty of well-cared-for grass on our state Capitol lawn is much more desirable than a discriminatory statue—even one that is dear to my religion. After all, my religion is not the only one followed by fellow Arkansans. Green grass is universal, enjoyed by people of all faiths.
The story of Telles, the poor hobo stranded in Pine Bluff on the day of his death, Dec. 21, 1967, is reminiscent of the story of Mary and Joseph stranded in Bethlehem the day of the birth of Our Lord. It also reminds me of what I later thought of as an encounter with Jesus. As an ordinary volunteer for the Care Center in Morrilton, I was meeting a stranded young man to give him a bus ticket. As we waited together for the bus, I gradually felt compelled to be his friend. We merely visited until the bus arrived and he was on his way to Tulsa. Though I never had contact with him again, I had the strangest feeling that I had been visiting with the Immortal.
Christmas can come any time of the year.
As for the column by Brenda Looper, my Christmas wish/prayer is that, as the Bible says, all people will “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.”
ANNE CROFOOT QUEEN
Morrilton
Honor and reverence
The article on Christmas Day about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Old Guard brought back memories.
A few years ago, my husband and I took our youngest son to Washington, D.C., just like we did with our older sons. We wanted them to experience our government firsthand. Visiting the Capitol, the White House, and the wonderful museums was very interesting to us.
But by far the most impressive part of the trip was visiting Arlington Cemetery. The honor and reverence given the unknown soldiers by the Old Guard was immensely emotional and poignant. It gives a glimpse of the sacrifice made by our military on our behalf.
I wish each citizen of our great country could witness this stirring ceremony.
BONNIE HOLMES
Little Rock
Venti cup of calories
I’m writing today to explain the rather important downhill spiral of what used to be a basic, healthy cup of coffee. Coffee has now been transformed into a venti cup of sugar and calories covered in a heaping pile of whipped cream and a thick drizzle of chocolate.
For ages, coffee has had a reputation of being a healthy addition to any meal that had benefits upon benefits; however, that reputation is now at the risk of being demolished with nearly every sugary drink order. A regular cup of black coffee, regardless of size, contains almost zero calories, while many other options differ. Naturally, coffee is good for you in the right portions, believed to be capable of preventing many illnesses and even making that 8 o’clock class seem not so bad after all. On that note, with all the ingredients that are floating around in our current Starbucks favorites, all the good qualities gradually decrease due to the endless amounts of sugars, bad fats, and calories they contain. The growing amount of add-ins and sugars that are mixed in coffee drinks are nothing short of a disaster waiting to happen. It is not only bad for your health, but it can lead to obesity, fatigue, and even diabetes.
We need to bring light to the matter and limit the amount of sugars and calories that we’re allowing in our coffees before things get out of hand. We need to inform the public on what they’re putting in their bodies. A great solution is placing a special tax on sugary drinks to slowly start solving the problem, according to “Can a sugar tax stop obesity” by Meera Senthilingam, a journalist for CNN. Creating awareness of this problem can control the health of not only our generation, but generations to come.
MALLIE WHORTON
Fayetteville
Ignored cost of living
Well, the political season is over, and not once did we hear the politicians talk about what really matters: the cost of living. As a retired military member, I got my new pay stub for 2017. What a joke!
My pay will go up exactly $5. But wait, my taxes went up $2.74. Almost 60 percent of my raise was taken back in taxes. My net raise is a whole $2.26. I am now able to get an extra gallon of gas for the month. Oh, and did anyone talk about how food prices have gone up? Electricity bills, gas bills, phone bills, taxes, etc., have all gone up.
Speak up, people.
DON STEBBINS
Cabot