Christmas music and decorations before Thanksgiving?! It's sometimes a jolt to our daily lives when we realize how close the end of the year is -- especially as the weeks of holidays spanning from October through December rush past us with their sense of urgency in meal preparations, gifts to purchase and wrap, and putting up the decorations that make these fall and winter days so festive.
November and December hold many memories for me: traveling home; family gatherings; reconnecting... and the last days with each of my parents.
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| Who can you no longer talk to? ~ ~ Click on image to enlarge ~ ~ (Photo credit: Pearls Before Swine, Stephan Pastis, 12/03/23) |
We travel this life expecting or wanting there to be no end, living each day with the assumption that the next day will follow... and our loved ones will be at the other end of the phone line or text message. We wait for a reply... until there isn't one.
Even years after my parents' deaths I still reach for the phone to tell them of what's happening in my life or look in my Inbox for Mom's latest email with a cartoon or joke. (Throughout college, she would mail me news clippings and comics that meant something to her, helping me to stay connected with what was happening at home.)
Like Rat in Pearls Before Swine, we now get along... and we want to tell them what we have learned.
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| What is at the end of your road? (Photo credit: The End (of the Road), Olli Kekäläinen) |
I don't mean to be maudlin or bring the festive spirit down. Rather, I am reminding myself how important each day is and the conversations that we have... NOW.
Along with sharing the details of what has happened throughout the day, isn't it just as important to tell:
- Our family members: how much they mean to us?
- Our work colleagues: how much we appreciate them?
- Our neighbors and community leaders: how they impact our lives?
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| Can we see beauty even in dark times? (Photo: Mazatlán Sunset - Larry Gardepie) |
As we move towards these December holidays, let us balance our preparations by:
- Putting behind any jabs and negativity.
- Acknowledging that many of our hopes and desires are similar.
- Realizing that others may be just as tired, scared and confused as we are!
Also, may we reconnect by enjoying this limited time we have together!
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| Larry Gardepie (click on link for website) |
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