Today, Christmas Day 2008, was a day of revelation to me. I learned things today that I have always known, but have taken for granted my entire life. Simple things like the importance of family, the importance of faith, and the importance of being thankful for life I have been given.
This year, for the fist time, we had an empty house for Christmas.
Our son is away in the Army. He is serving our country and, whether he understands it or note, has made me a very proud man. He overcame his on youthful self-destruction and is making his way in the world. But, he too, is away from his family. His wife, know pregnant with their first child, came back home to be with her family for the holidays. I called him and he sounded fine, his Sergeant had invited him over to spend the holiday with his family. I don’t know this man, but I thank him for his generosity.
Our oldest daughter is out on her own, making her own way in the world. She just moved in to her own apartment and her gifts this year consisted of all the things a young lady needs to start her life away from the nest. As she opened her gifts last night I delighted in seeing her smiles of happiness and joy.
And our youngest is away visiting her father in Montana. She is my step-daughter and her being away has hit my wife hard. But, she is with her father and that is important for her at her age, it is what she needed.
The children being gone is something we will have to get used to. As we get older our children get older and, one by one, leave the nest.
But, while I do feel a few pangs of sadness at this, something our priest said this morning struck home. You don’t always get what you want, you get what you need. I wanted all my children here today; instead I spent the day with my wife. She is, and shall always be what I need.
We went to the movies this afternoon, while the movie had a sadness to it, it also was drove home the thoughts I had been having all day. The movie was celebration of life, of being thankful for the things you have, and of doing the best you can do in the time you have.
As I look at the past and reminisce about the things that have occurred in my life, the people who have come and gone, the opportunities I have had and lost, and then look to the days ahead I realize that I may not have gotten everything I wanted. But I did get what I needed.
This year, for the fist time, we had an empty house for Christmas.
Our son is away in the Army. He is serving our country and, whether he understands it or note, has made me a very proud man. He overcame his on youthful self-destruction and is making his way in the world. But, he too, is away from his family. His wife, know pregnant with their first child, came back home to be with her family for the holidays. I called him and he sounded fine, his Sergeant had invited him over to spend the holiday with his family. I don’t know this man, but I thank him for his generosity.
Our oldest daughter is out on her own, making her own way in the world. She just moved in to her own apartment and her gifts this year consisted of all the things a young lady needs to start her life away from the nest. As she opened her gifts last night I delighted in seeing her smiles of happiness and joy.
And our youngest is away visiting her father in Montana. She is my step-daughter and her being away has hit my wife hard. But, she is with her father and that is important for her at her age, it is what she needed.
The children being gone is something we will have to get used to. As we get older our children get older and, one by one, leave the nest.
But, while I do feel a few pangs of sadness at this, something our priest said this morning struck home. You don’t always get what you want, you get what you need. I wanted all my children here today; instead I spent the day with my wife. She is, and shall always be what I need.
We went to the movies this afternoon, while the movie had a sadness to it, it also was drove home the thoughts I had been having all day. The movie was celebration of life, of being thankful for the things you have, and of doing the best you can do in the time you have.
As I look at the past and reminisce about the things that have occurred in my life, the people who have come and gone, the opportunities I have had and lost, and then look to the days ahead I realize that I may not have gotten everything I wanted. But I did get what I needed.
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