Mom, my nephew, and Cameron (right to left)
No matter your religion or background, family is the real meaning of the holidays. My family is over tonight eating lasagna, telling jokes, and reading everyone’s Facebook statuses. We rarely get together like this even though we all live in the same city, and unfortunately it takes holidays like Christmas to get everyone together. Having a family and children that love you is a beautiful thing–a gift from God.
My Christmas tree–no longer “ghetto”
My Christmas Tree
In many ways, this will be a lean Christmas for me and my family. The economy is bad, I did not make as much money this past year as I would have liked, and I am not as prepared for this holiday season as I swore I would be last year this time.
I actually had started the day a bit depressed about the condition of my Christmas tree, which to start the day, had a crooked top, lights that did not work, and hardly any ornaments on it, because I had had NO time to attend to it due to working so hard and often this past few weeks.
That is when my mother showed up this evening with my sister in tow–with a whopping plate of homemade lasagna. My father came in and, with my son, Cameron, fixed up my third oldest son, Jonathon’s bed, which was yet another task that had been ignored for the past few months. Finally, my mother and sister found my unpacked ornaments and Christmas decorations and turned my tree from “ghetto” to “fabulous.”
Christmas Spirit
It was then that I got infected with the Christmas Spirit in a way that the difficulties of the past year–my traumatic wreck this summer with my kids in June, my divorce and resulting financial strain, and the myriad other problems my family experienced–could not defeat.
Merry Christmas to everyone, and always remember your blessings, as there is always something to be thankful for even in the face of great trials and tribulation. Finally, thanks, Mom! I love you and will never forget how you always seem to show up at the right time.
