This is the last email of this year from me! I am taking 2 weeks off from writing and will be doing some travelling and just generally relaxing with some friends and family. I don’t do this very often and always feel the need to stay consistent with stuff like this. Well, not this year people.
Anyway, I love the Christmas song Home for the Holidays by Perry Como. It is such a simple but yet ever evolving complex song. For me, I instantly think of my mom. She LOVES Christmas and Santa and all the things that come with it. She keeps some Christmas stuff up in the house all year. Over the last decade or so, I’ve noticed that my dad, tough guy he tries to portray himself as, has become a little softer, especially around this time. First of all, Christmas is his birthday. Second, he sees the importance of that time, both in his faith and in our family. It matters more to him now than it used to. Our family has dealt with all kinds of stuff (like everyone’s has) and as the implications of those things compound–different people not being there–we see just how important it is to keep the connections we have left.
I have two questions for you as we wrap up this year:
1) What does Home for the Holidays mean to you?
2) What are you going to do different in 2024?
My answers:
1) connection with the people that matter the most–wherever they are. It is the smells, sounds, warmth of my biggest fans and longest companions. The ones that love me even when I am practically unlovable. It is reliable. It is safe
2) I hate the term resolutions. Resolutions get broken. Almost like they are meant to be. I am focused on my wife and our under roof family. I have not been great at being present with them and protecting us and moving us forward. That is my number one thing this year. I have one year left with my oldest. I have kids moving up to new and different schools. Its time to circle the wagons, work hard when that is appropriate in order to play hard and be present when we can do that.
