Getting Through the Holidays

"I just need to get through the holidays, then I'll start the job search."
"I just need to get through the holidays, then I'll be able to relax and work on all the work piling up for school."
"I just need to get through the holidays so that I can get back to a normal schedule."

Lately, I have found myself thinking all three of those sentences. It was just in passing; a fleeting moment. These thoughts are unfortunate, and a horrible way to view the holidays. Christmas has taken on a new perspective for me this year: My family isn't doing much with gifts, and therefore I am able to truly reflect on what Christmas means to me. Christmas is about Jesus-- He is the ultimate gift to the world, and Christmas is our time to reflect on all He is and does in our lives, as a family. How lucky we are to be able to join together as a family, both extended and immediate, to be with each other on this wonderful day! I am truly blessed.

But I wanted to "get through the holidays." That way I could get back to all the things I had been putting off, since I am on "break." But, after some reflection, many questions have arisen.

When did the holidays become a stepping stone, a mere bridge, from one task to the next? When did the holidays end up being this anomaly that we just looked past so that we could "get back to normal"? Why do the holidays have to have such a stressful time that we can't see the true beauty of what the holidays bring?

We have an opportunity, as a family, this holiday season, to get together and celebrate each other. Motives or intentions of being there aside, my ENTIRE immediate family was at the reunion for a lengthy amount of time. How amazing is that! Especially given the crazy schedules and life stages me and my brothers are currently in. We were all able to be there; I was elated, to say the least.

And come Christmas, so many of my family members will be in one spot. Cousins who live far away are here; we can celebrate as a whole extended family. That is a neat opportunity that most don't get to experience.

I don't want to "get through the holidays." I want to use the holidays to get together and love with my family. I want to realize the beauty of my risen Savior and reflect on His birth.

"Getting through the holidays" means we are forfeiting the opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the birth of our Savior and His purpose for our lives.
"Getting through the holidays" means we are letting go of the chance to love with, share with, and be with our families.
"Getting through the holidays" signifies that we are forgetting to live in the present sometimes. Living in the present has such beautiful poignancy that I feel we too often neglect and look past.

And so it goes...