Life and the Schedule is about to get extra busy for most of us. Travel, family get-togethers, shopping for presents and extra food, decorating, cooking, office parties, trying to meet year-end sales goals, church productions, and lots more.
However, this time of year isn’t always easy for everyone. Some families may be in the midst of real difficulties this season. Perhaps it’s far from the programming seen on the Hallmark Channel. Maybe it looks more like Christmas Vacation without the happy ending and Clark’s bonus.
Throw in an extra task load and some difficult family situations, and you want to put on your Scrinch Suit and retreat to Mount Crumpit. (The “Scrinch” being a combination of Scrooge and the Grinch. An overall delightful character, in my opinion.)
I know this season is challenging for me, but I also know it’s not anything as compared to a family I know where the mom has been in a three-year cancer battle and the outcome doesn’t look positive. Or a friend that suddenly lost her 38-year-old sister four days before Thanksgiving two years ago. These stories do not negate the challenges you or I might be currently facing, and don’t be tempted to compare your circumstances to others.
Here are some things I would wish for you this season (and for some of us, this is way out of our comfort zone):
- That time for relationships would mean more than completing your task list.
- That family would mean more to you than a perfectly trimmed house.
- That if you have an addiction issue (alcohol or otherwise), you would do whatever is necessary to overcome it. For you, yes, but more so for those around you that are impacted by it.
If you’re doing well this year, keep in mind others may not be. There’s a line in a song that goes, “Truth be told, the truth is rarely told.” “I’m fine” is probably the biggest lie we either hear or tell ourselves. If you know someone that’s in need, see what you can do to help.
The best thing you can give someone this year is your time, care, effort, and love. Time passes way too quickly for anything else.
