The End of Holiday Bliss

Officially today has concluded my Holiday season. It seems this way every year when my brother heads back to Connecticut. Unfortunately this year it happens to be before New Years, due to his extensive time taken off for his wedding at the beginning of this year. I am sad that the bliss has to end, but so fortunate to have spent a wonderful holiday season not only with him and his wife, but also with so many other family members and friends.

As I have grown older, I have learned the simple joys in the Holiday season. They really are the only joys and the greatest joys. It's not about the gifts we open or give on Christmas Eve; it is merely about the time I spent with so many important people in my life. It's the time for families to have reasons to spend time together, and as I want to say an excuse I don't because it is truly the time of year when everyone devotes time out of our haphazard schedules to family and friends.

This year, we got together with my grandma's side of the family that I have not seen in 10 or 12 years. It was wonderful to see what mature adults my second cousins have grown to be, and be able to catch up with my great aunt and uncles. These are priceless presents that Christmas offers. It doesn't matter what I unwrapped from under the tree or how much money I spent on gifts, because being with the people you love during this time is the most important part of the Holiday season. These moments are the ones that bring us back down to reality and retreat us from the material world that is so minuscule in the scheme of life.

I am very fortunate to have such a loving and extraordinary family, and will never take this for granted. Regardless if you spent the holidays with your distant family or just with your immediate family, the Holidays are times that people get together with the people in their lives that are important to them. I am lucky to have seen every one of my cousins but two and all my immediate aunts and uncles, but I did not spend Christmas Day with any distant family. I spent them with family friends. People who are like family. The Holidays help us realize the ones in our lives who will always be there and will always love us.

We all know, or at least should know, these things about the Holiday season, and instead of me being sad the season is over, I am happy to have these memories from this year and can not wait until next year for new ones.

As an end note, having a white Christmas was almost perfect, but I could do with a little less snow or at least a snow blower so that I don't have to shovel snow with dust pans any other year. It was very hard work with very little pay off. I hope every one had a perfect Holiday season! We can look forward to a New Year now!