The other day my cyber mailbox brought an unexpected surprise: Holiday greetings from an old flame. It was unexpected because I haven’t heard from him for a very long while. I was beginning to worry that he might have gone into coma or something. Well, he will be celebrating the Big 6-0 next year and, as we all know, anything can happen at any age. In particular, the close-to-the-senior-citizen age! A friend always reminds me that we have "one foot in the grave and the other one on a banana peel." As it turns out, my old flame's fine as fine can be. Just busy working at a job that took him many miles from home.
Thanks to Christmas, this is the season when I typically get to hear from long lost friends of yesteryears. The people in my life are scattered all over the world, making it a challenge to see them in the flesh. But as long as they can drop by my cyber mailbox anytime, that will work for me just fine. It’s an assurance that I am present in their thoughts and that’s good enough for me!
It’s so wonderful when people take the time to pause and re-establish roots and reconnect old bonds. The holidays give us a pretty good excuse to make that happen. A man and a woman who used to be a couple can find out if there might still be the old spark on the pretense of merely catching up.
People travel many miles by automobile, boat, train or airplane just to be with their families and friends at this time of the year. Unfortunately, there are those who can’t make the trip as they’re busy performing their missions in foreign places where, hopefully, they are safe until it’s time for them to return home.
People travel many miles by automobile, boat, train or airplane just to be with their families and friends at this time of the year. Unfortunately, there are those who can’t make the trip as they’re busy performing their missions in foreign places where, hopefully, they are safe until it’s time for them to return home.
Celebrating the holidays will be challenging for those who have family members scattered all over the globe. Thank God for Priority Mail, Overnight Delivery, long distance calls, Skype and the Internet. These communication tools have allowed people to connect no matter where they are in the world and no matter the time of day.
My work associate explained to me recently why he had to fly to different parts of the country, even the world, at every opportunity during the year. The reason is to spend the holidays with his loved ones whom he can’t spend the time with on the actual occasions. His son works as a missionary in Thailand and that’s where he and his spouse spent an early Christmas get-together in the fall. Unlike him, I don't spend a fortune in airfares because being with my family is not a serious preoccupation. Not when cyber communications have made it more affordable for me to keep the five-digit long distance miles from them closer.
For those whose families are tight and living in the same zip code, town, city, or state, count your blessing! You have the good fortune to celebrate the holidays unhindered by travel schedules and expenses. All you have to do is show up, eat, drink and be merry. Rejoice in the presence of family and friends whose company you can enjoy without the burden of long distance travel. That in itself is a blessing to be thankful for.
May this holiday season be a lovely time for every one! It’s a once-a-year special occasion that allows us to forget the stress of work and the pressures of everyday living. Let’s pause from our hectic, encumbered lives to embrace the authentic meaning of this season. Thank God for keeping us in one piece... the roof over our heads... the hope in our hearts... and the blessing of being here. Hopefully, our appreciation will go beyond the traditional time frame. If we keep the holiday spirit alive throughout the years, the gladness in our hearts will forever remain. It will become a lovely year-round celebration for one and all.
Happy holidays, my friends!
