Law Offices of Patrick R. Kelly - December 2020
December 2020
A Christmas Message From My 10-Year-Old Daughter Enjoy Sutton’s Take on the Holidays! Expressway Tower • 6116 N. Central Expy., #1201, Dal las, TX 75206 • 214-682-7132 Alps Building - Historic Stockyards • 222 W Exchange Ave., Suite 106, Fort Worth, Texas 76164 • 817-382-8387
When I sat down to write this month’s newsletter, I thought, “The holidays are all about family — so what could be better than handing over the reins of this article to one of my kids?” My 10-year-old daughter, Sutton, stepped up to take on the challenge and share her feelings about Christmas. I hope you enjoy her perspective! Hello, my name is Sutton Kelly. I am 10 years old and the oldest of the three kids in my family. My dad’s name is Patrick Kelly, and I love spending time with him, especially over the holidays. In this newsletter, I want to share with you what Christmas means to me. One tradition I like to do is decorate the Christmas tree with jolly music playing. Typically, my siblings and I decorate the bottom part of the tree while my parents decorate the top part. I think decorating the Christmas tree brings my family closer. I also think it is super cool how Jesus was born on Christmas Day. I like to celebrate his birth by going to church and praying. What I pray about is thanking God for everything that he has provided for us and wishing Him a happy birthday. To my family and me, Christmas means spending time with each other and celebrating Jesus’ birthday. Every Christmas,
I turn onto their street, I see deer running around and having a merry Christmas also. When I get to their house, I run as fast as lightning to their Christmas tree and see it dazzling in the dim light. I also think about all the memories popping up in my head while I’m staring at it. If you look at the bottom of the tree, you see the Polar Express circling the tree and protecting it. On Christmas Eve night, we go to church, then celebrate with close friends and family. Soon we get a little visit from Santa toward the end of the party, when he reads us a book. Before we leave, we get to pick out cookies to put out on the fireplace for Santa. When we arrive home, my cousins and I put on our matching PJs and put out the cookies for Santa. We lay in bed while watching a Christmas movie. It takes me hours to fall asleep. Finally, I do. I always wake up in the middle of the night and feel like I have been asleep for three days. I wonder to myself, When is it morning? Sooner or later, it is the next day. I wake up seeing smiles on everyone’s face, and it makes me have a smile on mine. We normally have cinnamon rolls for breakfast, which I can smell from a mile away. After breakfast, everyone races toward the living room to open presents. After that, we normally play outside, where the breeze blows in my face and laughing comforts my heart. It makes it a true Christmas. A few days later, we get on the road and go back to Dallas to see my dad’s side of the family. We normally go to my other grandparents’ house, and I get to see all of my other
cousins, my aunt, and my uncle. I love seeing them and spending time with them as well. We talk together over a big, delicious dinner that we all bring and enjoy together. Then we exchange gifts and enjoy playing with them and having family time. I feel truly blessed to be able to spend the holiday with people I love. My wish for you is that you enjoy the holiday with your friends and family and remember the reason for the season. I know if you do, you will find that same happiness and smile.
-Sutton Kelly
I celebrate it with both sides of my family. I start out by going to my mom’s side of the family down in San Antonio, Texas. We
From our little family to yours, Merry Christmas,
-Patrick R. Kelly
celebrate with CiCi, Oso, my cousins, aunt, and uncle. When
WE WANT YOU TO CONSIDER US YOUR LAW FIRM. While we specialize in bodily injury cases, we are happy to refer you to a firm that can help you with any legal issue that may arise. Please feel free to refer us to your friends and family for their legal needs. We look forward to helping you.
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3 GIFT-GIVING TIPS That Won’t Kill Your Savings
Think beyond store-bought or expensive items.
Ah, the holidays. It’s a time of sweet treats, family, and giving back — and sometimes giving a little too much. When it comes to the perfect holiday gift, many people spend too much money. The average American spends nearly $1,000 on gifts during the December holidays alone! It’s possible to cut back and make it to January without major debt. Here’s how.
Sure, everyone wants this holiday season’s “it” item, but sometimes the best gifts don’t even come wrapped under the tree. Instead, look to your own talents as a clue to what you should give. If you’re a great crafter, create something unique for the people on your list. If you can offer the gift of time, provide a free night of babysitting for your friends with kids or an experience at the local theater. These gifts have a bonus factor: Recipients love the gift when they open it, and they love it when they get to use it!
Set a budget — and stick to it.
Setting a holiday budget ensures you only spend what you can afford. It also narrows down your search. If you choose to buy your neighbor something, but they aren’t your top priority, set their budget at a lower level, like $25–$50. If you have a sibling who has had a rough year and you’d like to make their holidays a little brighter, bump their budget up. This narrows the focus of what you’re looking for so you don’t stumble into something you can’t afford. Ultimately, it’s the spirit of giving during the holidays that makes them so rewarding. With a little ingenuity, you can be generous and avoid the stress of excess debt come January.
Check your list — twice!
The list is going to be your secret weapon to tackling the holidays with your savings still intact. Start by writing down the name of every person you’d like to get a gift for. Now, with the exception of your immediate family members, narrow the names down to your top five — top 10 if you’re really popular. Now, place the names of the people who didn’t make the cut into a second list. If you still feel the need to do something for them, send homemade cookies or a handwritten note instead of purchasing something. This limits how much you actually have to spend!
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spellings of common names. Additionally, the name must match the biological sex of the child: girls with feminine names and boys with masculine names. And another thing, traditional last names cannot be used as a first name. Many other countries have similar laws, including Germany. While the German laws are not as strict as Denmark’s, they state that the name must match the sex and that any name must not bring harm to the child. That is to say, if the child is likely to be bullied because of the name, it may be rejected.
No Running Out of Gas on the Autobahn
The “no gas” law is designed to minimize hazards and accidents on the road. It’s also illegal to stop on the side of the Autobahn, unless you’re experiencing an emergency or car trouble, such as an unforeseen issue with the engine. Running out of gas is considered a “foreseen” issue, thanks to fuel indicators.
Should you run out of gas and require assistance, you must not leave your vehicle, because it’s also illegal to walk on the Autobahn. If
Speaking of Germany, home of the Autobahn, it’s illegal to run out of gas while driving on the superhighway. In fact, driving on the Autobahn comes with many restrictions. That’s the trade-off for accessing an efficient road system where some stretches lack a speed limit.
you do need to pull over, you must do so in designated areas or leave the highway altogether.
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TAKE A BREAK
It’s not always easy to share feelings of frustration, anger, sadness, or other strong emotions — but it’s healthy to share them. Sometimes, we need to vent and get it all out. Venting gives us an opportunity to release these emotions, which often leads to mental clarity. However, when someone comes to you to vent and share their heavy emotional burden, listening can be just as challenging as sharing. You want to be supportive, but you don’t want to interfere. Strong feelings and tough situations may be involved. What can you do to be the listener they really need? It starts with your body language. Open yourself to their emotional needs. Gregorio Billikopf, an interpersonal relationship expert at the University of California, Berkeley says if you begin the conversation standing, invite the person to have a seat with you. Another thing you can do as a listener is to position yourself below their eye line. This puts the person venting in a more active “storyteller” position and you in a better “listener” position. While in this position, maintain eye contact. It’s okay to look down or away occasionally, but try to keep steady eye contact. Billikopf also notes that, as a listener, it’s important to avoid interjecting. Don’t offer input, suggestions, or guidance to the person venting until after the person has had the chance to get it all out. “During this venting process, there is still too much pressure for a person to consider other perspectives,” Billikopf says. While you don’t want to interject, you do want to be an active listener. This means you don’t want to be completely silent. This is where “reflective listening” comes in. Occasionally repeat what the speaker says — but don’t use their exact phrasing. Reword slightly in a sympathetic manner. Don’t spin their words or mistakenly interject an opinion, as it may not be the opinion they’re interested in hearing. Alternatively, listening cues like “mm” or “hm” and nods are always welcome. One last thing to keep in mind: You do not need to offer a solution to the person’s problem or concerns. They may just be venting to get their negative emotions out, not looking for answers or explanations. If they are looking for answers or guidance, wait for them to ask. In the meantime, lend your ear and let them know you’re there for them going forward. BE A BETTER LISTENER FOR SOMEONE Who Needs to ‘Get It All Out’
NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S FRUITCAKE
Inspired by SimplyRecipes.com
Ingredients
• 1 tsp baking soda • 1 cup sour cream • 3 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit of your choice, chopped • 1 cup nuts of your choice, chopped • 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 stick butter • 1 cup sugar • 1 egg, room temperature • Zest of 1 orange • 1 tsp salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with greased baking paper. Ensure the piece running the length of the pan stands 1 inch above each side to form “handles.” 2. In a small bowl, mix baking soda and sour cream. 3. In a second bowl, combine fruit, nuts, and 1/4 cup flour. 4. In a third bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, zest, and sour cream mixture. Then, add remaining flour and salt. Mix, then add fruit mixture. 5. Pour batter into lined pan. Fill up a separate loaf pan halfway with water. Bake both pans in oven for 1 1/2–2 hours or until a skewer leaves the cake clean. 6. Use “handles” to remove cake from pan and cool completely on a rack before serving.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
A 10-Year-Old’s Take on Christmas
3 Fool-Proof Ways to Pay for the Holidays Without Going Broke
2
Not Your Grandma’s Fruitcake How to Be a Better Listener for Someone in Need
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4
Strange Laws Around the Globe
CURIOUS LAWS IN PRACTICE Around the World
No Chewing Gum in Singapore
Nearly every community around the world has strange laws: Some were established decades or centuries ago to address specific issues that came up once or twice; some were created with good intentions but have since become outdated; and there are some recently created ones that still serve practical purposes. Here are three such examples.
Company. You can get certain types of gum with a prescription, but if you are caught with more than two packs or are found littering, you may be handed a very steep fine.
Singapore has numerous laws aimed at keeping the city-state free of clutter, one of which is aimed squarely at chewing gum. As the government made infrastructure improvements in the 1980s and ‘90s, they wanted to curb vandalism and littering so they could keep this new area clean. The result was a crackdown on gum. They take it so seriously that they monitor gum products that pass through the city-state. If it’s en route to a neighboring country, it must be locked up until it’s through. In the past, anyone caught selling, possessing, or chewing gum could be fined up to $100,000.
No Unusual Names in Denmark
When you have a child in Denmark, don’t get too creative with their name. The government maintains a list of around 7,000 approved names, and around 200 names are rejected every year. However, if you choose a name that isn’t on the list, you might not receive an automatic denial. You can get special approval through your local church, then submit the name for approval from government officials. The law looks down on naming children after inanimate objects or alternative Continued on Page 2 ...
In recent years, the law has eased somewhat, thanks in part to gum lobbyists funded by the Wrigley
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