I am a very lucky person. The biggest reason I feel so lucky is because of Crystal. She's beautiful, bright, funny and knows how to make holiday's truly special. Her thoughtfulness and generosity help me to see what the real reason for Christmas is. Last year there was one particular experience that reminded of one of the things I love about Christmas and it wasn't because she is an amazing cook.
I was at home one day when she sent me a link to an article about what some people were doing in honor of the Christmas season. What the people were doing was going to a K-Mart because they had a lay-away program and telling the employee who worked at the lay-away counter that they would like to pay off some random person's bill. It was a very touching thing to think about someone doing an anonymous act of kindness. She then talked to me about whether or not we should do something like that. We agreed that it was a good thing to do. So I went down to the K-Mart in Harrisonburg and paid a portion of someone's lay-away. The person working at the lay-away counter was surprised and touched.
I am grateful that Crystal is such an angel and is such a generous soul. This experience is one of many where she has reminded me not only of what Christmas is all about but about what life is really about. Christmas is a wonderful time because people are more willing to go out of their way to help others. I am very thankful to have Crystal in my life because she is always looking for ways to help other people. Thank you Crystal for helping me to recognize the real reason for Christmas.
HISTORY
A Little History:
Our story begins in Pocatello, Idaho, circa 1972, when the lovely Debby Christensen agreed to a first, though fateful date with admirer, David Croshaw. Long story-short, he bade her follow him, and they went arm-in-arm to the Logan, Utah temple for establishment of an eternal family unit, Generation 1, on May 23 1973.
From their first blissful summer in Salt Lake City, educational pursuits took them to Provo/Orem, Utah, birthplace of Leslie and Rebecca, and to San Francisco/Oakland California, birthplace of Colin and Matt. Then, for establishment of livelihood, expansion of the tribe with Abby and Dana, and for raising/unifying of Generation 2, it was back to the roots in Pocatello for a rewarding sojourn.
In time, driven by a raging, but commonly shared sense of adventure and independence, one-by-one, Generation 2 escaped the homeland to distant regions of the country and the world, each ultimately developing their own tribal expansions by pairing with worthy mates and initiating Generation 3.
Now sensing fulfillment of their purpose in Pocatello, Generation 1 has also left those roots and transplanted to Cascade Idaho, from which base, they anticipate more abundant contact with The Posterity, Generations 2 and 3, in the future. That contact however, awaits fulfillment of a call to LDS missionary service in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, wherein they hope to help the state of the world by sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
So now, including Generation 0 (Grandma and Grandpa Christensen) home base includes Yuma, Arizona, Pocatello, Idaho, Cascade, Idaho, Vancouver, BC, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Spokane, Washington, Boise, Idaho, Los Angeles, California, back to Boise, Idaho, and on and on (Generation 3+) to infinity.
Our Mission Statement:
This is the blog of our eternal family unit. Initiated years ago, it served well as a journal, but even more so, as an archive of our personal interaction. It was a gathering place, a confabulation instrument, a unifying force for four generations of widely dispersed and progressively prolific posterity, and their valued associates. Though it served these purposes well for many years, it eventually took a back seat to new-kids-on-the-block, Facebook, and Instagram, and was sadly forgotten.
We now move to resurrect this blog with an added functional purpose of archiving the missionary experiences of Generation 1, of their movements and activities as they participate with The Gathering of Israel in the land northward. In so doing, we hope that via their own comments and posts, this blog will again serve to gather and unify the posterity and their friends.
As in the past, that the young and vibrant may know the old and tired, that enduring bonds may be fostered and maintained, that experience and encouragement may be openly shared, that posterity may embrace truth, and that hearts may be knit together, we must resist detachment despite our geographic divergence. We shall do so here.
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5 comments:
Thanks, Matt. It was a very sweet story. I love that you guys did that when you probably didn't have much extra yourselves. It means that much more. Merry Christmas!
thanks, matt. crystal is a very caring, loving person. you are a good, kind person yourself. serving others is really what i think the Savior would like us to do at Christmas time.
That was sweet, Matt. Thank you. Thanks also for going along with my Christmas plans over the last five years. I think seeking out the needs of others is so important. I was that child who Santa never visited, and as of right now, have been able to buy absolutely no presents for anyone, so... I get what that feels like on both the parent end, and the child end. It is really awful. It *shouldn't* be THE focus of the season, but let's face it. When one is unable to do anything, it is heart-rending. What I have been trying to do for the last three years, is just create magic and memories. I am doing better with that, and the primary way is trying to see the needs of others. I can't do much monetarily, but I always do what I can. That is what Jesus does for us in great and small acts. He is my example. Trying to share the love that originated from His perfect heart and life is what I do try to do.
It really is the reason for Christmas. We need to be better to our neighbors, more kind to everyone around us. I love that you guys did that.
It makes me think about what mom and dad asked us to do this Christmas season as our gift to them.
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