“It’s the most wonderful time of
the year.” At least, that is how the song goes. Usually, the holiday season is
full of excitement and anticipation. The end of the years brings us Halloween, Thanksgiving,
Christmas and New Year’s Eve. In my immediate family, it also brings three
birthdays and two wedding anniversaries. This year also brought a college
graduation. It is normally a great ending to the year. The season is full of
good times, but it also has its issues. This year has had its share of the good,
bad and ugly.
THE GOOD: Getting to celebrate
anything with family is a wonderful time for me. I love my immediate family and
my extended family. Not everyone can say that! We celebrate the holidays when
our schedules will allow. Celebrating Christmas/Thanksgiving on a weekend
before the actual holiday does not take away from the season for me. It is not
about the food, the gifts, or the traveling. It is about being together.
THE BAD: We can always find something about which to
complain. While shopping, people shopping can be rude. Traffic becomes a
problem. Stress can get to elevated levels. Waiting until the last minute to
shop and not being able to get the one gift that would make the holiday better
for someone can leave us feeling unaccomplished. We must take the bad with the
good. The bad makes the good seem even better. Try to remain calm in any situation.
Remember that everyone else around you are trying to accomplish the same thing
as you. Treat others, as you want to be treated.
THE UGLY: This year’s Christmas
week was not great. Four days before Christmas,
my dad passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Four days later, my stepmom had
a major stroke. The holidays brought many tears. My dad was my hero. I loved
him dearly. He was funny, smart, always prepared, generous and loving. He was a
great man and a better dad. We cry not for the dead, but because we will miss
him.
The good that comes from the ugly
is that you find out that people really do care about you.
Life does not end. Death is just a
part of life. Life continues. The day that my dad died, a baby was born to
someone I know from work. The new baby, Claire will never replace my dad. I may
never meet her. However, we will remember his life story. Her story is just beginning.
Let us continue to look to the future.
Do not be stuck in the past. Celebrate what you have. Remember what matters.
Focus on the good even in the ugly times.
May you all have a Happy New Year!
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