Holiday Survival Guide Installment #7 - Joy

Holiday Survival Tip #11 - Give the joy you want to receive

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
-Luke 2:8-12

When the holiday season rolls around every year, I admit that I am one who struggles with the hustle and bustle and getting the right gift and getting things done and the baking and so on... Honestly, I struggle with staying happy and joyous when I'm stressed out by the long list of things to do, and buy, and places to go, and people to see, and all of these other things I put on myself at this time of year. This year I had a pep-talk with myself just before Thanksgiving.

I prayed that God would not just help me remember the reason for the season, but why it is a time to be celebrated anyway. God, please help me keep my joy. I didn't want to be so caught up in the gifts, parties, baking, decorations, and shopping that I forgot what happened two thousand years ago that got this ball rolling: angels brought good news of great joy.

It can be a struggle to maintain your joy when you are one of the unlucky souls that has to go out in the madness that is the shopping center. Struggling to find a parking space within walking distance of your destination can cause your joy to fade. Standing in a line a mile long for the off chance that they still have your ideal gift can wear on your joy. And heaven knows my joy meter reads empty when I hear people bicker and fuss about the woman who just bought up the last carton of egg nog. Our society, in general, can completely sap a person of their joy - if you let it. And this year, I refused to let it. I vowed that I would not stress out about it. And the realization I came to was this:

What's to stress out about?!? It's not like I have to bear the sins of the world. It's not like I have to teach an entire civilization about the difference between religious rules and a holy relationship. It's not like I have to overcome death and be resurrected. So why do I try to take on so much stress on a holiday that isn't even about me? I have to admit, once I came to the realization that I was choosing to take on the stress and get myself worked up over things that weren't even, honestly, relevant to the holiday in the first place, I felt pretty sheepish. I don't say that to belittle anyone else. But I say that to, I hope, help someone else have a light bulb moment. I want for someone else to realize that when all the tinsel and bows fall, the lights turn off, and the gifts are long forgotten, none of that silly stress really matters. But the gift of our savior - the one whose birth the angels sang, the one whose entrance into humanity was announced to the humble shepherds, the one who came to save us from the insanity of the shopping malls and traffic jams - this savior, would be a reason to rejoice.

I feel like I probably ought to have given my advice on this much earlier in the season. But honestly, I felt like I should test out my theory before I started giving anyone advice. Here's what I came up with: if you want the world to rejoice with you, you have to start. Yup, that's it. To test this theory, I started small. Every day I made sure to remind myself to be joyous. Then I reminded my kids. Then I started making sure to add a "Merry Christmas" on to the end of my conversations. Then I began to smile more. And before I knew it, my kindness and joy was returned to me. It works. All you have to do to start is to make the choice to be joyous, even when the world is ugly and dark. Choose to feel joy, or at the very least, choose to look like you are feeling it. And before you know it, people are reflecting that joy right back on you. It's really that simple.

Jesus never wanted his birthday to be a burden to us. So why make it one? At the end of it all, the only thing he really wants is your heart. And that is a gift that requires no special wrapping, no prep time, no long lines, no traffic jams, no coupons, no late-night door busters, nothing stressful or difficult. All you have to do is let go of everything else and find peace and rest in the fact that this holiday season is all about one thing: good news of great joy that will be for all people.

Merry CHRISTmas, my friends!

Holiday Survival Guide Installment #6 - Gifts

Holiday survival tip # 10 - You can never give a gift good enough, so stop trying

Gifts seem to be such a major part of the Christmas tradition that we Americans know. As a child, I know I loved this part of Christmas - what kid didn't? But now, as an adult, the gift giving/receiving is such a small part of what drives my soul during the Advent season.

I recall few of the gifts I've received as a child. I suppose that's likely because there were many of them, and they probably didn't last from one year to the next. But I know every gift I've ever received from my husband. I suspect that's because his gifts (usually jewelry) are still in regular use and always present on my mind. Can't say that I remember if that Easy Bake Oven managed to make it much past Valentine's Day.

I don't usually ask for anything for Christmas. I'm so blessed - I'm healthy, I have a few dollars in the bank, and I have a beautiful family. What more could I want? But back in 2008, I had a Christmas wish that weighed heavy on my heart. I wished - I prayed - that my mom's cancer would be cured. Anyone who follows me knows that this prayer was not answered the way I had desired it would be. My mom lost her battle with cancer in January of 2009. Of course I was devastated. But I did get an amazing gift that year. My mom spent her last Christmas with my brothers and I, laughing and smiling despite her fatigue and pain. What I got that Christmas was absolutely beyond measure: she showed me what true gift-giving is. Giving a gift of the heart brings joy and is not soon forgotten - no matter the size or dollar value. What she gave me that Christmas cost her no money, but the memory is priceless. From that experience I offer you this:

My best advice on gift-giving

1. Know your recipient. If they hate chocolate (as I do), a box of chocolates is probably not the best gift. If their favorite color is green, you should probably avoid the pink sweater. It seems simple, but sometimes we get in such a hurry, we forget to think about who it is that will be receiving the gift. But a gift chosen with a specific recipient in mind will strike that person as thoughtful and kind.

2. Give with love. If you make shopping for "the perfect gift" into a chore, there will be no love in the giving, and the recipient will see that. If you can't give a gift with love, it's best to just skip it. No one likes an obligatory gift.

3. Lots of dollars makes little sense. Sure, women love jewelry. But that's not necessarily a call to go into debt over a diamond pendant. Nor does it make good sense to spend a fortune on toys for an infant, or clothes for a toddler. These things have a very limited time of use. Spend wisely. Quality gift, not quantity. Also, keep in mind that some gifts are not "bought" anyway. I'm not really a "gift person", my love language is quality time. The best gift my family can give me is the chance to be myself with them.

Perhaps the best advice I can give on gift-giving is to keep perspective. What do I mean by that? No gift you can ever give can match the gift God sent to us one cool night in a stable. All the money in all the world can't buy the salvation that God gave us in the blood of that precious baby wrapped in cloths and lying in hay.

Gifts are a fun way to celebrate one of the most fun times in the entire calendar. But it's not about the gifts that come wrapped in metallic paper with shiny bows. It's about the gift that came bundled in a manger. You can't top that gift, so don't even try to. Keep it in perspective - it's about Jesus.

Holiday Survival Guide Installment #5 - Holiday Light Displays

Ever since I can remember, holiday lights have been a part of my Christmas tradition. My parents tell stories of me being old enough to sit in a child safety seat - you know, the old rickety metal ones (what were we thinking in the 70s??) - and getting so excited to view the "Mis-mis dites" (Christmas lights) on the boats moored at Dana Point in Orange County, California. We made it a point to head into Newport Beach every year to watch the boat parade. We drove mile after mile to find the best neighborhoods for light displays. Hot chocolate in hand, Christmas tunes blasting on the radio, we piled into the minivan to search out the best of what Orange County - and later, the Inland Empire - had to offer. And every year since I can remember, my parents would lovingly reflect on the time that, as a toddler, I pulled myself out of that rickety metal car seat, climbed over the seat of my dad's old Ford Grenada, and into his lap, exclaiming, "Mis-mis dites, Daddy!! Mis-mis dites!!"

My parents looked at my young face and saw such joy at the twinkling lights and animated displays. And how my eyes sparkled at the sight of a real, live Santa in someone's yard! Even into my teenage years, this tradition continued. It was such a huge part of what I grew to love so much about Christmas - my family, united, and enjoying the season.

I still go to look at Christmas lights every year. I always say that I'm "taking the kids to look at lights" but I think everyone knows who it's really for. Even my husband, God bless him, humors me every year when he rounds the kids up and grabs the hot chocolate and cranks up the XM Christmas channel. Long after the kids have begun to complain about being tired or bored, he drives me on to the next neighborhood. And he, much like my father, must get such joy watching my face light up at the beautiful, twinkling lights.

Holiday survival tip #9 - Light it up!

You never know how a simple thing like a string of lights wrapped around a tree in the yard can create a lasting memory. You don't have to get crazy (a la Griswold), but a little light can create a lot of joy. I often think of Jesus when I look at Christmas lights. He was one person - one soul in a sea of people. But his light was bright, and shone long. He made a difference, and brought such joy to people who so desperately needed light. Christmas lights might be small, but they are bright - and mighty - in numbers. That's what Christ wants for us - join together and light up the holiday with joy and love that will last for years and years to come.

Holiday Survival Guide Installment #4 - Parties

Holiday survival tip #6 - Be a hostess with the most-est

I mentioned my mom and her attempt at a magnificent holiday party in a previous post. She was so busy trying to make everything "perfect" that she failed to be present at her own party. Major bummer. No need to re-hash that one. But recall that I said before how important it was to actually be at your own party.

Moving on.

Let's talk about what it means to actually be the hostess. This is an area I struggle with. I'm not sure how to be a gracious hostess. People walk in and compliment the decorations, the food, or even my hair, and I instantly go into freak out mode. I act like I've never been complimented before! "Oh, this old thing" I say of my brand new dress, or "oh it's such a mess" I say of the house I've spent all month cleaning. Maybe some of us are just trying to be modest, but there is nothing wrong with accepting a compliment. A simple "thank you" would be fine. But for some reason the thought of someone having kind words about my efforts sends me into a panic.

This year I've agreed to host a formal Christmas dinner at my house. I know this will mean a lot of hard work on my part, and I know that my family will say something kind about what they see, smell, hear, and taste - which is something that really warms my heart. I am praying genuinely that I'll be able to accept the compliment without somehow degrading my efforts with a back-handed comment like, "the turkey is too dry" or "I'm sorry the living room is such a mess."

If you're the hostess, take pride in your hard work, and then allow yourself to reap the reward! You've earned it. And no one will be upset if you bask in your success for a minute. Just make sure you don't forget to compliment Nana on that hideous Christmas sweater she insists on wearing every year and it will even out.

Holiday survival tip #7 - RSVP

I'll keep it short and sweet. If you are invited to a gathering, and you intend to be present at said gathering, make it known so that your hosts can be sure to have enough seating, refreshments, etc. It is terribly rude to assume that your hosts can read your mind and sense telepathically that you intend to show up at some point to partake of the food and entertainment, while taking up a share of the couch, and therefore they should expect enough to satisfy you. The RSVP, which is a nice way of saying "Are you coming or not???", lets your host prepare and plan so that your arrival, departure, and everything in between is as pleasurable as possible. In my opinion, no RSVP means no attendance, and your butt should have to wait outside! Having planned parties in the past, I know what goes on behind the scenes, and if you plan for only 30 people to come and you get 50, there can be a lot of hungry, cold, tired, cranky guests at your event. No one wants this. If you're coming, please say so.

At the same time, if you have agreed to attend and you are then unable, please let your host know that as well. It stinks to have food left over with no where to store it, and to have rearranged your living room for extra chairs only to discover that no one will be sitting in them. It's just a courtesy to someone who was kind enough to invite you.

Holiday survival tip #9 - Alcohol in M O D E R A T I O N

There is nothing cute or funny about finding out that your boss now has 500 photocopies of your butt after you hit the eggnog too hard at the company party. Be smart. If you are going to an office party, keep in mind that you will have to look these people in the eye again Monday morning. They would prefer that yours not be blood-shot. You'll look like a jerk. Go easy on the booze.

This rule also is important when your party takes you away from home. Unless your sled is powered by the spirit of Christmas, hand crafted by elves, and is pulled by 8 magic reindeer, you need not get behind the wheel after drinking. Period. There is no excuse for drinking and driving.

Friends, I have had the unfortunate experience of burying dear friends due to auto accidents related to excessive drinking. It's not something any mom, wife, daughter, aunt, grandmother, co-worker, or friend wants to remember every Christmas. Be considerate of society at-large and get a designated driver. Heck, you can call ME if you need to. Just please, I beg you, do not drive if you've been drinking.

Party on...

Holiday Survival Guide Installment #3 - Guests

Holiday survival tip # 4 - Strive to be Mary in a Martha world

My mother was a very social woman. One Christmas, she decided to host a Christmas Open House. From about mid-October until the party date in early December, preparations were being made. We cleaned the house with toothbrushes and a fine-toothed comb top to bottom until every surface glistened. We decorated the house with garland and lights until every room twinkled with Christmas. We selected the perfect mix of traditional and contemporary Christmas songs to play in the background. Mom baked for what seemed like an eternity (and we were NOT allowed to sample!). The refreshments were laid out on our Christmas plates, neatly arranged around the matching Christmas-patterned plates and flatware. She spent the last several hours before guests arrived primping and preening herself to look fabulous in the glow of the candles and garland. Everything was perfect. Once guests began arriving, Mom could be spotted running from here or there to refill the ice, replenish the punch, take more appetizers from the oven, more crackers, more chips, more drinks. Her feet never stopped moving. And until the last guest grabbed her coat, she was in constant motion. When the music stopped, the candles were extinguished, and the dishes were put up, she realized that she herself had not eaten or partaken of the eggnog, nor had she spent any real time visiting with the guests she had invited weeks earlier. She was so busy making the party look, smell, and taste amazing, that she hadn't actually been at the party.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42

It's hard when you're the host/hostess, and you want so badly to ensure your guests are enjoying themselves. You spend hours in the kitchen preparing the food to absolute perfection. You spend hours cleaning the house to make sure it feels clean and comfortable. You spend an hour or two sprucing yourself up, and you'll spend hours cleaning up afterward. But how much time did you spend with your guests?

This holiday season, resist the urge to strive for perfection. Chances are, your guests didn't come to judge your appearance, the appearance of your home, or the quality of your food. They came to spend time with you. So, make sure you spend time with them. Enjoy them. Treasure them.

When the lights go out and everyone has gone home, no one will be talking about how spotless your house is or how professional your catering was - but they'll remember if you sat with them, talked with them, shared a laugh over some hot chocolate with them. This is why we gather at the holidays in the first place, right?

Holiday survival tip # 5 - Call ahead for best service

Ladies, lets get real for a moment. For most of us, the pride of who we are is reflected in our home. We want it to be a place of warmth, love, comfort and welcome. But if we're being honest, we can also admit that at times it can be a place of chaos and mess. And in those times that most closely resemble the path of destruction left by a hurricane, the last thing we want is for someone to show up at our doorstep, suitcase in hand, and see the disaster we call a home. Yes, we're going to talk about uninvited guests.

First of all, I'm not one who loves surprises. The idea that anyone would show up at my house unannounced sends my heart racing. I don't like being unprepared. I am very much a "Martha" of my time. Uninvited guests don't usually get the full "welcome" experience. And that makes me sad for them. So, I generally believe it's a little bit rude to show up and expect to receive room and board and see my smiling face. I would definitely prefer that you don't show up without giving me a heads-up. But, it happens.

If you are the guest who shows up without advanced notice, be the kind of guest who comes prepared with low expectations and a gracious heart. Know that your hosts didn't intend for you to be stuck on the couch, but they didn't have time to prepare anything else. Your hosts didn't intend to call out for pizza, but the gourmet meal they wanted to serve didn't include a portion for you. Simply put: they didn't know you were coming.

The holiday season should be one of fellowship and love. Respect one another enough to realize that your host needs to know you're coming, and your guests need to feel welcome no matter how much - or how little - advanced notice you received.

Above all else, dear friends, please don't get stressed out about your guests. This is a season of love and fellowship, not stress and frustration. Jesus wants us to gather together, in his name, to rejoice in what our Heavenly Father has given to us in this special season - grace. So, give some to your guests.

Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
1 Peter 5:14

Holiday Survival Guide Installment #2 - Shopping

Holiday survival tip #2 - Shop smarter, not harder

Black Friday

Eight years ago, my sister-in-law and I had the grand idea that since our men were going to be away the day after Thanksgiving (hers in Iraq, mine at deer camp), we would sneak away for some early morning shopping. The deals were particularly appealing that year and I was particularly broke, being that I was expecting our second child within a month of Thanksgiving. Since I was having difficulty sleeping anyway, this seemed like a perfectly reasonable thing to do. So, with sale papers in hand, we left our centrally-heated homes to brave the freezing temperatures and insane crowds to get a jump-start on holiday deals.

Friends, it's called "Black Friday" for a reason. There is nothing white, pink, yellow, or green about this day. Folks lose their minds. Seriously. Something about 900 people all clamoring for the 100 items displayed at a drastically reduced price sends people into a frenzy. All sense is lost. All courtesy is forgotten. Any manners? Forget it. All bets are off.

We made the mistake of hitting Walmart first. I'm not a fan of this particular retailer in the first place, but the deals really were enticing. So, we walked (I waddled) into the store and began scoping out our points of attack. She headed for the small kitchen appliances and I teetered through the electronics section. A line had formed to even enter this section, and being claustrophobic, I decided I probably ought to just head toward the small kitchen appliances also. With my walking trail obscured by my giant (and I mean GIANT) belly, I failed to see an obstacle in my path. I tripped over a cardboard box and fell, face first, landing on all fours in the middle of the isle. At first no one saw me, for which I was grateful, considering my lack of grace at the moment. Plus, I was unsure if my maternity blue jeans had remained intact during the fall. But because of a shift in my center of gravity, and pain in my knees, getting up was difficult and took a great deal more time than I had anticipated, giving passers by plenty of time to gawk and stare. Finally, a kind gentlemen offered a hand. I was so humiliated I didn't even want to look him in the eye. Then I began to wonder if my bladder had held during the fall. What if my water had broken? Oh, dear. This could be disastrous. Fortunately, after a lot of grunting (which wasn't all my own, I might add), the kind man lifted me up and I discovered that my bag of waters was intact, and my pants were dry. Praise God. But my dignity? Yeah, that had left me.

I waddled my way to the front of the store where I found my sister-in-law, with her treasures, and we proceeded to the checkout. This, friends, is where I saw the blackest of Black Friday...

We stood in line for around 15 minutes, me praying silently that none of the folks around me recognized me as "that pregnant lady who took a spill on isle 5." Finally, the registers opened and the cash registers began beeping and jingling. After a few folks had paid and left, the line began to move forward. My sister-in-law began to step forward, realizing that a coffee pot was blocking her path. With her foot, she nudged it out of the way. Out of nowhere, a husky voice and the smell of stale cigarette smoke hovered over us, shouting, "I was saving my place in line with that!" My sister-in-law, in her sweetest voice, said, "you can't save a place in line with a coffee pot. We've been standing here, waiting, and that's not fair." Somehow, the rather large loud woman didn't feel compelled to evacuate her reserved space. In fact, she began to move ever closer to my sister-in-law's space. (My left eye twitches feverishly as I write.) The woman proceeded to all but threaten my sister in law, over a coffee pot, in the middle of Walmart on the busiest shopping day of the year, stating that she had "been here longer" and had "reserved her place in line while [she] ran to go grab something else" and that my poor sister-in-law had better not say another word about it. At this point, I felt dizzy and I felt something kinda wet around my knee. Please, don't let me be going into labor right here in Walmart! Thankfully, it was only a little bit of blood from the abuse my knees took a few moments before. Meanwhile, my non-confrontational sister-in-law was standing her ground while this unattractive woman was losing her religion over a reserved space in line with a $5 coffee pot and a box of Marlboro reds. I don't recall the exact words, but some four letter ones were shared and finally a Walmart associate manager asked the "lady" to please step to the back of the line.

We checked out and headed to the car, which I half expected to find keyed and lit on fire. We left Walmart and headed to Old Navy where I bought a maternity sweater that I later accidentally put into the drier and had to give to my 5-year-old niece. I did save $20, though. All-in-all, the shopping trip yielded no real amazing finds. In fact, I can't recall that I actually bought any Christmas gifts at all. I think my spirit was so broken after realizing how many selfish people claim to celebrate a holiday based on the birth of the most unselfish being ever to walk upon the earth.

Holiday survival tip #3 - Spend on where it really matters

I recently had a long telephone conversation with my dad where we both recalled our favorite memories from Christmases past. Our recollections both included things like the smell of the Christmas turkey, the taste of the homemade fudge, the twinkling lights, and watching It's A Wonderful Life a dozen times in the course of a season. Nowhere in our fondest memories lie the gifts we exchanged. In fact, while I know that my parents (and grandparents) spoiled us with gifts in quantities unheard of, I can't really recall what those gifts were. I can't recall how long they lasted. And I can't recall any that I gave, either. But I remember how the time was spent.

I can only imagine the crazy kind of debt my parents went into showering us with gifts like they did. But they were spinning their wheels trying always to outdo the previous year's yield. What we remember most, what we value most, is the time spent making memories - the kind of memories I try to make with my own children.

I heard on the news a few nights ago that Americans will spend around $1.2 billion between Black Friday and Cyber Monday (Black Friday's less intrusive cousin), working out to around $400 per customer. Wow. Is there not any other way to spend $400? Would Jesus have accepted a $400 gift? And how could you top the gift He gave anyway? Why try?

This year, God has really put it on my heart to give something that cannot be exchanged, replaced, or thrown out. It can (and should be) re-gifted, though. This Christmas, I want to bless my family and friends with the gift of love. I want to spend time with them, nurture our relationships, and truly rejoice in the birth of our savior. Isn't that what Christmas is about anyway??

Now, if you feel compelled to give a gift, let me suggest the gift of life. For way less than $400, you can literally save a life. Just visit the World Vision gift catalog and buy a life-saving gift to help those who aren't concerned with getting presents for Christmas - they're concerned with living to see another Christmas.

That everyone should know him by receiving him in real, tangible ways... This, my friends, this is what Jesus wants for his birthday.

Holiday Survival Guide Installment #1 - Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving happens to be one of my most favorite holidays on the calendar. The feast aside, this holiday lands smack in the middle of my most favorite season. If you are fortunate enough to live in a climate rich with lush greenery, you may notice a change in the scenery. Leaves fall in beautiful shades of brown and vibrant orange. The atmosphere becomes crisp and cool, and the wind sends a small, but pleasant, chill in the air. Fall festivities abound. The best football games happen during the Thanksgiving weekend, and school lets out briefly. It is a fantastic time of year, and Thanksgiving day is the jewel in her crown.

I grew up having a formal Thanksgiving meal. It was the one day during the entire year we ate on real china and sat in the formal dining room. It was at this table that my mom taught me valuable lessons about proper table etiquette by stabbing me in the forearm with a real silver fork because my elbows were on the table. I learned that goblets were for water, not for Kool Aid. I learned that you do not set a jar of mayonnaise on Mom's glamorously set table to make a turkey sandwich out of her beautifully browned bird and a homemade roll while waiting for the blessing to be said. I learned the value, or lack thereof, in literally "passing a roll" down to the end of the table upon request.

I look back fondly on Thanksgiving, but my best memories have been made since I became a mother myself. Nearly every Thanksgiving since I married my husband 13 years ago, we have made the trek from wherever we had been living at the time, to a rural area in south Mississippi to enjoy a fantastically home cooked meal with my husband's grandparents, where our children run and play with their cousins and the livestock while the adults sit and talk about football, weather, and the price of gasoline while stirring the gravy and sampling the sweet potato casserole. This year was no different.

Funny thing about Thanksgiving - the holidays in general, really - is family. Some you love, some you loathe. It's a mixed blessing. We've all had to sit through uncomfortable Thanksgiving meals. That's just part of the experience, I've come to believe. But the turkey and dressing makes it worth it. I'm not sure that I would choose to sit at a table with some of my family under any other circumstance. I believe that's why God made turkey with tryptophan. You're too full and too tired to fight after a meal like that.

While the food and the table in that warm house in the deep south look very different from the one I sat - and was stabbed - at in my youth, there are some things that seem to be universal about Thanksgiving in America, and I do not refer to the turkey (although it is worth mentioning that my mother, my mother-in-law, and my grandmother-in-law are all in peak performance mode when it comes to Thanksgiving meals). After having traveled hundreds of miles, crossing multiple state lines, and grown weary of other travelers having done the same, there is something instantly re-energizing about the sight of loved ones holding hands around the table to pray. We are all one family unit - our struggles, our disagreements, and our issues aside for that brief moment we bow our heads and thank God Almighty for blessing us with another year of family, memories, and delicious food. We break bread fully knowing that it may be our last under these circumstances, but we give thanks for the chance to do so. We forgive one another, if only for a moment, for being imperfect and give thanks for being present.

Isn't that what it's really all about? Isn't it really about remembering what you have to be thankful for? Family, friends, memories... those are the real treats.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 107:1

Holiday survival tip #1 - be thankful that you have family around to annoy you, push your buttons, aggrivate you, and be a thorn in your side. Next year, you may not be so lucky.