Family & The Holidays

There are many things that make the holidays great for me, but the number one, yes even beating out numerous excuses to have tons of pop, egg nog and little smokies, is family.

Families are a funny thing. Growing up it is easy to take one's family for granted, mostly due to lack of life experience and well, just being a kid. That usually changes as you grow up and realize how much your parents and family actually do for you. And it REALLY changes once you begin a family of your own.

At times, families can make you sad, crazy, irritated and many other like things. But in the end I think our lives are most full and meaningful when we look past each other's shortcomings, move past the things that cause the frustrating feelings and realize that in this ever-changing and overwhelming world we live in, families are the only constant. Rich or poor monitarily, we can all be weathly if we have a family. Some aren't blessed with the perfect family (nearly none infact), but that is what makes family worth it-you have to work at it to become that kind of family and through all the work-the good times and bad-what results is something more precious than anything we can buy at the Apple store or on iTunes.

I feel heartsick for those who, for whatever reason, don't have a strong family network, but you know what? That's where those of us who do have that sort of family come into play. We can be that family for those who don't have one, especially this time of year.

The holidays for me are the most speical time of the year. Sometimes...who am I kidding...every year when the holidays pass, everything seems like filler until they are upon us again. People always throw out the cliche that Christmas can be with us all year, but that is harder than it sounds. There is something special about this time of year, something that brings people, not just famililes, together. I wish it was like this all the time, but alas we are imperfect people.

What am I trying to say? I don't know that I'm exactly sure. Maybe just that I'm thankful for my family. More than I can even say. Especially at Christmas time. Without them, it wouldn't mean what it does in my heart. I hope we can all go the extra mile for those not as fortunate as us.

The end.