Hope In The Headlines This Holiday Season

I come from a family of gift listers. When I was a wee- one, my list was short and practical-- I told my mother that I would settle for Toys R Us. Cute, but hardly heartwarming. In a holiday season gone mad with consumerism, it's hard to see the true spirit of giving buried below the holiday shopping frenzy. But there is a growing number of glorious glimmers that show people can be pretty amazing. Two moving examples come from children.

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United Airlines was recently featured on ABC news for hosting a fantasy flight to the North Pole for seriously ill or recovering children. Sandwiched between stories of potential hate crimes and hypodermic needle attacks, a  little boy summed up the best of humanity.

When asked about his Christmas list, he didn't rattle off a list of games or toys; instead, the boy, with a thoughtful expression, exclaimed he "want[ed] to be good and happy forever." Cue the waterworks.

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The boy, surrounded by Santa, Minions, Batman, and other famed favorites, saw through the stuff, saw through the celebrity and wished to be the best person he could be for the rest of his life. I'm not ashamed to share that I got tears in my morning coffee. Safyre Terry's story, too, kept the Kleenex flowing in the O'Donnell household.

Safyre Terry, Liz Doddler told People Magazine, lost her entire immediate family along with all of her earthly possessions in a tragic 2013 fire.Doddler also shared that Sfyre only survived the flames because of her father's love-- he embraced her to prevent her from breathing the hot air.

This Christmas, all Safyre asked for was some contact. On the Safyre Schenectady's Super Survivor Facebook page, created by Doddler, her aunt posted Safyre's Christmas wish- Christmas cards to fill her Christmas card tree. The post went viral after Kevin Clark, with permission of Doddler, shared it.

Two years after she lost more than most adults could handle, she just wants people to reach out and, for a fleeting moment be part of her life. Naturally, the response was overwhelming. Safyre, in a Facebook video, thanked everyone and reported that her tree was full-- beside her, the tree and a box brimming with cards.

Safyre reminds us that small gestures matter, listening matters. Her humble request reminds us that heartfelt gifts that require some time and personal attention mean far more than anything we can pull off a rack and wrap.

This holiday season, here's to hoping that we all remember what draws us to join the herd of mall-goers or Amazon deal hunters. Stuff is easy and sometimes stuff is even nice, but stuff doesn't add up to love. We can give each other stuff any time of the year, so why not make a point of sharing our best selves as an act of love, whatever that looks like, with friends, families, and anyone else we encounter?

Tis The Season For Friendly Fire: 5 Pithy Retorts To The Couple Question

The holiday season- a time of family gatherings. What can be better than catching up with distant loved ones, eating until it hurts,  and spending hours talking over each other until the dueling monologues climb to a crescendo of cackles? No, there's no bow big enough for such delights. 

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At times, the family banter can feel more like an interrogation and there is one question every unmarried male and female family member can count on: is there somebody special in your life? A variation of follow up comments:  I'm going to give So And So your number, you're perfect for each other; don't worry, you'll find someone someday; I don't get it, you're so wonderful- how could you still be single  only (unintentionally) add (unintentional) insults to (unintentional) injury. 

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It's fair to say both men and women encounter a variation of this inevitable exchange, but men are more likely to be patted on the back for playing the field while women are more likely to be cautioned about the dangers of their ticking biological clocks. But the truth is- people will couple when and if it's right for them... because being single is pretty fantastic.

When I was in my twenties, if anyone told me that I would find my match at thirty, thanks to Billy Madison and an internet dating profile, I would have gulped my Appletini and strutted back to the dance floor shaking my head. No way... this was too much fun.  Plus, I watched far too many people couple because college was over and they thought that getting serious was the next step in some ill perceived series of steps to achieving authentic adulthood. No, I could "pay my own fun and pay my own bills."

Don't get me wrong, I cannot imagine (nor do I want to imagine) life without my incredibly patient, handsome, hilarious husband, but it took meeting him to change my mind about single life. That's probably why every other relationship before him failed... I wasn't going to give up absolute independence for the sake of satisfying some silly preconceived notion of happiness. 

Blending lives is a big deal...sure a person can still remain independent to an extent, but a person's partner, too, has the right to a say. Having a partner means considering how simple vacation, dining, other recreational, professional decisions will affect that person. Few people that pre-emptively couple practice this behavior or resent having to practice this behavior; consequently, 42- 45% of marriages end in divorce (IFS). 

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Even though I'm now married, I still cringe whenever I hear people dismiss or pity the glories of singledom. When I look back on it, I wish I corrected people when they dug into my couple status. 

Here are a few pithy retorts you can borrow this holiday season when the dreaded couple question arises:

1. I'm still saving- the average cost of a divorce is $15,500; it would be irresponsible to start something that I wasn't prepared to finish.

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2. I'm currently holding auditions, one martini at a time.

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3. Well, I'm hoping that scientists work out the kinks in cloning soon; I can't wait to wake up next to David Beckham every morning. Alternative: ... I can't wait to wake up next to Emilia Clarke every morning. Or substitute whatever celebrity you deem dreamy. 

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4. That's a really big question...have I met anyone special? Well, by today's standards- isn't everyone special? Theoretically, every time I step into the world, I meet lots of special people. Let me freshen up your drink for you.

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5. What? Sorry, I'm having trouble hearing you. I've been out celebrating all month... my ears are ringing from all of the fun clubs, bars, and conversations I've been enjoying. Nope... still not getting it. Oh well, cheers!

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Dave Grohl vs The Muppets' Animal Means Everyone Wins

Tonight, Dave Grohl takes on The Muppets' Animal in an epic drum battle, which means we all win! The internet is abuzz with chatter of Grohl's appearance of tonight's episode of The Muppets, "Going, Going, Gonzo," and with good reason. For many viewers, both have incredible nostalgic value.

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Children of the 70s and 80s revelled in The Muppet Show- a hilarious variety show format, featuring the cream of the celebrity crop. The show was such a success it produced two equally fun movies.Even the children of the 90s were served a helping of Muppets magic with The Muppet Babies and new Muppets movies, including a 1992 adaptation of Dickens', A Christmas Carol. It seems the Muppets are part of nearly every American viewer's childhood repertoire. Watching The Muppets (2015) puts many of us back in that place of innocence and happiness.

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For people of a certain age, Dave Grohl has ties to a more angst-ridden period of their lives-- adolescence. Nirvana was a breakthrough band-- 90s era teens had a new soundtrack... it was gritty, it was, at times, sardonic, and it was honest. Sure, other bands played music similar to Nirvana, but the band had an unshakable IT factor. Like lots of teens of the time, I shed my keds for Docs and cornered the market on flannel. So much for bucking conformity.

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Tonight, two wonderful worlds will collide when Animal, drummer for the Muppets' Dr. Teeth and Electric Mayhem, battles Dave Grohl of Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and Them Crooked Vultures fame (the list of his contributions goes on and on).

The moment I first saw Dave's lanky body hunched over his drums with his long hair in his face, he reminded me of someone-- I just couldn't place it. The moment he started to punish his drums, I knew who he reminded me of- Animal. It was perfect.

Since Dave went on to play Animool in The Muppets (2011), I'm guessing I'm not the only person to make that association. Animool was the drummer for the Moopets, a sad cover band fronted by Fozzie Bear after the Muppets parted ways. Hilarious on all counts!

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The association, though, also speaks to the general spirit of drummers, possessed by the percussion-- it moves through them and they thrash it out.That's the magic of Animal. Shoot, only one character rivaled Animal's influence in my book, but her body of work is far more modest and her audience far more narrow. One word- Watts... no one made me want to pick up drum sticks more. Man, when I think of her, I still want to take up the task.

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Now Dave is a grown up- kids and all, but he plays harder now than ever. He's never taken himself too seriously, one of his most endearing qualities-- just look at any number of his early Foo Fighter videos. Or check him out as Beezleboss in Tenacious D's Pick of Destiny.

Maybe fatherhood inspires him to tangle with The Muppets... maybe he was inspired by Animal... maybe he even sees a little of himself in Animal- whatever his reason, I'm grateful this is finally happening.

 I've been lucky enough to see Dave perform live on multiple occasions, the most recent experience being the Foo Fighters 20th Anniversary 4th of July Bash in Washington, DC. His love for his craft and fans is genuine and infectious. I'm a sucker for an underdog, and he had to overcome numerous obstacles after Kurt Cobain's tragic death. But here he is, grounded, successful, playful, animal. I, for one, can't wait for tonight's battle between two of my all time favorites.

You can get in on the fun by watching the below video and by watching the full episode of "Going, Going Gonzo," at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on ABC. You can also share your favorite Muppet memory in the comment section.