Christmas is a time when many of us travel to be with family, or maybe family travels to be with us. For me, it was a long plane flight to Florida, filled with delays and a new appreciation for the inside of the Salt Lake City Airport. All worth it now that I’m here with a houseful of relatives. By the same token, I’m not with other people I love, namely my children and that unnamed person who I love.
And I think that’s the case for many of us. Holidays often become a balance between families, trying to spend as much time with as many relatives as possible. For many people, family isn’t necessarily their biological ones, for a lot of reasons, and spending time with those loved ones is equally, if not more important. If we’re not careful though we focus more on being everywhere at the same time than the time we’re spending with people.
Isn’t that where our focus should be though? On the people we’re with? We get so worried about travelling, cooking, wrapping gifts, eating, that we don’t have time to really just Be with the people we’re with…to appreciate and enjoy each other, to show love and grace for each other.
So on this Christmas Day when we celebrate the birth of Christ, I have an encouragement for all my friends out there, some of whom are like family. Pay attention to those around you, enjoy those who you’re with. Engage, talk, play, laugh, just stop doing for a minute and just be. Spend quiet time by yourself, reflecting on all the people and things you hold close and value. For that reason, I’m signing off, so I can go and be with those I love.