Fred Claus is the older brother of Nick Claus (of Saint Nicholas fame). He has been out shined by his little brother for as long as he can remember. Fred does something good, Nick does something wonderful. Even when Nick tries to do something nice for his brother, it seems to backfire. Fred sits in a tree near a birdhouse, talking to a bird, his best/only friend. Nick cuts the tree down so they can put Fred’s favorite tree in the house and put presents under it. The bird, of course, flies away, leaving Fred alone.

Fred grows up alienated from his family, a wise-cracking cynic. When, due to financial situation, Fred is forced to deal with his family again, the fur flies and the fun begins. Santa is also having his problems, dealing with an efficiency inspector who wants to shut Santa down.

This is a tale of Christmas, but it’s also a tale of sibling rivalry and family dynamics. Roll it all together in a big snowball, and you have a holiday hit that’s well worth the price of admission. So pull up a tub of popcorn and enjoy!

I was reminded of this at a recent junior high basketball game. Junior high games can be messy , and sometimes the officiating is questionable. I often say you don’t’ have to agree with it, you just have to live with it.

That is often the case in life. If you are given a ticket for, say a stop sign violation, you can choose to fight it, but most likely you’ll lose. You‘ll have to live with it. I don’t like taxes. I hate them. But I have to live with them.

The same could be said about a Master/slave relationship. I don’t have to agree with Master, but I have to live with it and obey. I’m sure there are Master/slave relationships that are very like that, but Master Bennet (and I believe all good Masters) don’t really think that way. Although Master Bennet can demand blind obedience, he wants me to be happy. If I don’t agree with it and am just living with it, he works with me. We work not just in Dominance and obedience, but we work together in love.

Master Bennet is in authority over me, but I don’t just “live with” that authority. Because we work together, I thrive under it.

It is often said that we should follow the Golden Rule: Treat others as you wish to be treated. But I, perhaps in my arrogance, amend the Golden Rule. I say, treat others as they wish to be treated.

I often explain that this does not mean you should kiss their feet (although I gladly would for Master!) It means think about others and how they feel. For example, some people like to joke and tease. I’m one of them, and I don’t mind being teased in return. Some people can’t handle that, though, so I don’t tease them. I act according to how they feel, not by how I would feel.

Perhaps it’s the submissive in me, but I like the idea of treating others as they would like to be treated.

Yes, I braved Black Friday today. I must admit, it was a bigger day for me than Thanksgiving was. I worked Thanksgiving, which I really don’t mind, but today was my day to have fun.

My son and I left the house at 5:30 am. I was filled with excitement and anticipation. Would I find the bargains I was looking for? Would the crowds drive me crazy? Would the day go as I wanted? We pulled into the parking lot of our first stop and I reached down to pick up my purse and….no purse. Where was it? I had left it at home!!! You must understand that I live in the middle of nowhere. I had to drive 20 miles back home, get my purse, and return to the store. So much for a great day.

Actually, the rest of it wasn’t that bad. Granted, the first store we went to I don’t shop at very much, and I had difficulty finding the items I was looking for. One of the items I was interested in was sold out. (Of course, I was told that about another item, and when I checked it out, there were some left!) But once I left that store, it was smooth sailing. I’m not fond of crowds, but the day after Thanksgiving one must expect them. We went to a few more stores and I picked up a few bargains. I got a coat that is usually $60 on sale for $20. I was particularly proud of that one. Master is also a bargain hunter, and I thought he would be proud of me, too.

After shopping, we went out to eat, then, we went to see a movie, Fred Claus. In my opinion, it was a much better movie than Mr. Magorium. I thought a lot about Master during the movie. You see, the premise of Fred Claus is that Fred is the older brother of Santa, and he has a hard time being the brother of the “perfect one”. I know Master also has a situation with this brother. I wondered if Master would enjoy the movie, or if it would hit too close to home for comfort. The movie, however, was a feel-good flick, and everything turned out in the end.

We returned home at about 6:30. I still have a van to unload. I am planning on doing that a little at a time so the boys don’t see their gifts. I still have some work ahead of me! But I’ve had a great day.

My Master has been gracious enough to tell me to take Thanksgiving off. He only asked that I post my Thanksgiving post today. I wrote a Thanksgiving piece last year, and I asked him about that. Isn’t it difficult to come up with a new piece year after year? Master replied that each year is different; there were many changes. I thought about that.

At first glance, many of these changes seem negative: Death has taken a client I worked with, a former student, a colleague, and my beloved companion dog, Chip. But life goes on, and the holidays approach.

Another change has taken place in my household. My oldest son has gone off to college. He is becoming more and more a man, and less and less my “little boy”. I have to let him go.

Master’s health has also been an issue this year. In addition to an ear infection, Master recently broke his knee, severely limiting his mobility. We have not spent nearly as much time together as I would like, and almost none in “play”.

So, what am I thankful for? Oddly enough, I’m thankful for…change. Without change, there can be no growth. My son leaving for college allows both him and me to grow as individuals. Master Bennet’s health concerns allow me to support him and serve him as a friend, not just a toy or playmate. It deepens our relationship.

So I am thankful for change and growth, even if it is accompanied by a few growing pains.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.