Today kicks off the official Christmas countdown – it’s December 1st and that means it is unquestionably the holiday season. I’m having a hard time believing that it is actually that time of year. I still feel like 2014 is a new year. How is it possible that we are in the last month of this year? Aside from the fact that I can’t believe it’s December already, the holidays are a hard time for me. This will be my second Christmas celebrating without our son, Gabriel. This time of year is always hard as we celebrate and have special times together as a family when our whole family isn’t here. It’s lonely and it’s hard and it feels very different from all of the Christmases that I had before our son passed away. I still love Christmas, and I still love celebrating and even more so now, as our family needs the hope that Christmas brings. But it’s just different.
Recently, my family had the privilege of having a teenage girl stay in our home for a little while. She has never had a real family and never experienced the love of family. We talked about Christmas, and she told me that she didn’t like it. She has never had a good Christmas. I started thinking about her and so many other people who have an especially hard time during the holidays. Whether it’s from grief, the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, poverty, or a change in life, there are so many people around us who are feeling down and struggling right now. Let’s take time this year to remember them – to acknowledge their grief, their hurts, their feelings. Let’s focus a little less on our wants and little more on what someone else needs. This season my family is going to try to reach out to others a little more this year. We are going to look for ways we can help brighten their Christmas and let them know that they aren’t alone. While I’m not sure how this will look for us yet this year, I want to be open to seeing others and thinking of them this Christmas.
If you are looking for a way to connect to families around you or to serve others in your community, remember those around you this Christmas who hurt. And if you are feeling alone and sad, know that you are not alone! Know that your hurt is noticed and you are loved. Find community around you – find community right here with us! Know that you are noticed and not forgotten.
Happy December and Merry Christmas!
