The holidays are a very special time for most everyone. Many memories are made and remembered. I have lots of memories as most everyone does. Over time though families change, and things don’t seem the same. I can remember a time when thanksgiving came around and that was one time for sure I would get to see people I wouldn’t normally see all year long. It was such a great time for me. Everyone together just made sense. You couldn’t imagine having thanksgiving or Christmas any other way. In my family it was my grandmother who brought everyone together under one roof. She coordinated everything right down to what deserts we would have for the family dinner. She was the center of it all. In a sense she was the glue that held us all together. Year after year she would bring everyone together for the holidays. We all knew how important it was too her to be there and never made other plans. It was what everyone did.
When I was younger though I never really fully understood though why it was so important to have everyone together at these times. Sometimes I wondered why my mother and father just didn’t do our own dinner at home. Sometimes I really didn’t care to see everyone. As I got older though I began to realize it a little better as I matured into a young adult the real importance of family togetherness. I began to really look forward to the holidays more. Not for the food or the gifts at Christmas, but getting the time to sit with my family and spend real time together. It’s a shame though those for some the holidays are the only time you can really get to do this. For some they never get to. Some say that it doesn’t bother them at all. Yet for me it feels like an empty void in my life not having this time with the entire family.
When my grandmother died of cancer a few years ago things changed dramatically. The first year after her death my family tried to bring everyone together just like we have always done year after year. It was apparent to everyone though that it just wasn’t the same. Some didn’t even want to be there at all, and as the next year came, we didn’t have a big family get together at all. Everyone split off into their own immediate families and did their own things. This was very different. It wasn’t the same. Over time everything changes. When I ask other family members if they would rather have everyone together though everyone says the same thing. They all would love to have everyone together again, yet everyone seems lost as to how to do it. Is it that hard to bring your family together really?
People should really cherish these times. People should show gratitude to the ones in their family who goes the distance to bring so many together and make it happen, and people should be ready to take the place of that center in your family to keep the family together at these times. So that your family can be together as a whole during these special times. Yes it can be very hard to do at times and maybe you would think it’s not worth all the hassle to do it but in the end when it’s all said and done, don’t you want to have peace of mind knowing you tried? Family is very important, and having everyone together can help many things you wouldn’t normally think about until after you experience it. As Christmas is just around the corner think about it. That could be your chance to bring everyone together. It just might be the last time you could be with everyone. Why not make it special.