With Black Friday and the first snow behind us, we are in the midst of all things Hectic and Holiday! It can be a beautiful time of year, but you know, it can start to feel a bit much too. All the traffic, all the appearances to make, the reminders that even when a lot of people are going through very difficult financial times, 'tis still the season to buy! buy! buy!
But it's not supposed to be that way. Holidays are supposed to be about families, friendship, the spirit of one mankind and of hope. It's supposed to be a time to put down our differences, to see the world, even the strangest corners of it, as full of brothers and sisters. It's supposed to be a time when we are reminded to be kind and generous.
One way I help myself get back to this sense of Holiday is to remember how it was when I was young. In high school, December was tinselled-out and glittered-up and there was a great excitement and anticipation for almost 2 weeks off before the new year. There were always big games at the end of the year, and just walking into a gym from the icy outside and hearing the squeak of shoes and the pound of basketballs felt somehow like the Holiday Season too. Even taking exams for the end of the quarter was a little bit exciting, knowing this was the last hurdle before school is out and Christmas comes.
It's hard too, though. There are people in those memories who aren't here anymore, people who had their last Holiday Season long before this one, people I miss very much. That will always be difficult, but I try to remember to cherish their memories, and let them remind me that the spirit of this season must be embraced and shared, and not made into something it is not.
Please, if you have special memories of the holiday season at Hughes, share them with us. It helps us all remember the magic in this time of the year.
Happy Holidays and God Bless!
