However you are doing it...

[Andy Velez]

Dear All,

If you are celebrating da holiday, hope it's a sweet and fun one.  And if you're not I am just wishing you joyful times.

I'll share my Christmas story with you.  A few days before Halloween I had lunch with my granddaughter Frida and her Mom. They had recently been on vacation in Mexico and I wanted to hear about it.  Then Frida asked me how many countries I had visited.  So I started telling her and she said, "18! That's a lot." I asked her where else she would like to go.

"There are four countries," she said with four fingers showing, "And the first one is England.  And I want to meet the Queen." It seems she reads everything about the Queen that she can find.  What she likes is that she is a real person and not a fairy tale and that she became Queen when she was young.  She's not interested in William and Kate and their young ones.  The Queen is it.

I thought about this for a couple of days and then decided to write to the Queen and tell her about her young American fan.  And that I thought she might enjoy that there are still young ones coming along with hopes and dreams.

About two weeks ago on Buckingham Palace stationery I received a warm and lovely letter signed by a Lady-in -Waiting telling me how much Her Majesty had enjoyed my  letter and learning what about Frida's friendly thoughts.  Enclosed were some flyers about the Queen and photos of her. And saying again how her Majesty particularly wanted me to know how much she enjoyed what I had written.

Later today I will be visiting Frida and her parents for the holiday before they take off to spend holiday time with her Mom's family in Texas.  Her parents know about the letter but she doesn't.  So my holiday gift for her is to deliver the letter and photos from a friendly Queen. 

I am going to suggest she write a thank you to the Queen and enclose a picture of herself so Her Majesty will know what Frida looks like.

That's my holiday story to share with you all.

Hugs and all best to you,

Andy a.k.a. "Papi" to Frida


















 

[Jeff G]

Happy Holidays to each of you !

Andy … That is such a lovely story I feel like I have been given a very precious gift from you sharing it with us … what a wonderful way to end the year . Hugs.

[bocker3]

Andy,

What a wonderful story and I just know how much Frida is going to loving her Papi for her wonderful gift!!

To all of my AMG family and friends -- Happy Holidays -- whichever and however you celebrate.  You will all be in my thoughts.  Now it's back to the kitchen for me -- those snickerdoodles ain't going to bake themselves into existance.

Hugs,
Mike

[Wade]

Dear Andy ,
What a thoughtful thing to do for your granddaughter ,
she will so proud her Papi has written such a letter to the Queen  !
Thank you for sharing ,  XOxo... Wade

Happy Holidays to all  !

[tednlou2]

That is such a great story and what a keepsake. 

[BT65]

Wow, what a wonderful story, it gave me goosebumps.  Your granddaughter is so going to love that.  Very sweet of you.

Happy holidays to everyone.  I have to work later today but will be having brunch with some family members-the third of four Christmas gatherings so far this year. But I feel blessed.  Where I work, it's a home with three ladies with intellectual disabilities-one has fetal alcohol syndrome and other mental illness, one is blind and autistic, and one was born normal but had horrible cases of serious disease when she was younger it damaged her brain permanently so she is non-communicative.  But, they are all so excited for today, they all have presents to open.  I sort of can't wait to get there to see their happy faces.

Their families don't visit other than the girl with fetal alcohol syndrome, and then the dad is a narcissistic antisocial and treats the poor thing horribly.  He and his wife have money, they live in an affluent neighborhood, but everything he gets this poor girl is dirty and from second hand stores. Oh, she is adopted, he's not her natural father. And he has a down syndrome child at home he adopted; they do this for money and since this girl got older they decided they don't want to take care of her any longer. And the poor thing has 4-5 seizures every night which damages her brain further.

Sorry for going on a rant. I'm just so excited that she's going to have lots of presents from us to open today, it will make her day and week.  And I think about that and it makes me grateful.  So everyone have a blessed day!

Betty

[ImisstheOldTimes]

That was such a cool post to read, with a lot of threads not so cheerful, this one really put a smile on my face! 

Thanks for sharing, and happy holidays to all!
Heidi

[Andy Velez]

Hi All,

Here's a belated ps to Frida and Her Majesty.  On Xmas Eve I gave Frida her present wrapped in red tissue paper -- the envelope which came with the Queen's postmark, the letter from her and all the photos. When I handed it to her I told her it was something that happened because of a letter I had written and there was a copy of that letter with everything else. No hint about what was in the package. 

She tore off the paper, pulled out the contents and immediately began reading the letter (on Buckingham Palace stationery) aloud to me and her parents. About half way through she stopped and asked, "Is this REAL?" I assured her it was and she continued reading. Then she looked at all the photos and read my letter.

Later when we were alone she said quietly, "I love my present."

And still later when she was running around she suddenly called out, "I can't believe I have two pen pals...Adriana and Queen Elizabeth.''

Her dad took photos of Frida and me sitting on the couch with her QEII loot. Frida is going to write a thank you to the Queen and will enclose a photo of us so Her Majesty can see what we look like.

Frida is 7 years old and I think this is something she will  always remember.

Happy New Year to all.