December 25, 2010 will be the last Christmas of the 1st decade of the 2nd millennium, AD. Wait, wasn’t it just yesterday we thought the world was coming to an end with Y2K?
What if this was your last Christmas with a loved one or close friend?
What if this was your last December 25th?
- What would you do different?
- What would you say?
- What would you do differently as you set goals and resolutions for 2011?
I’d wipe away what I have control over – time wasted and pettiness over things that are not perfect.
I’d say “I love you” every time I spoke to someone dear.
Most of all, I’d spend more quality, focused time with those I love.
Introspective, Retrospective, Perspective
A number of events have improved my life, some of which are not personal. If you are dealing with challenges or loss of a loved one, such is an opportunity to:
- Spend time being introspective about how you approach Christmas;
- Look retrospective and find the best in the situation;
- Gain perspective.
I experienced a series of life changing incidents in 2010, some of which are shared in my personal Humpty Dumpty story. Since then, I’ve rebounded to about 90% physically and 99% mentally. Emotionally, I’ve turned into a slosh. I’ve slowed down (some) to think more about life’s big picture and to care more about people (a lot). I’ve use more tissue to wipe my eyes than any other year of my life.
Tissues were used this week when one of my Mom’s close friends died, losing the fight to cancer on her and her husband’s anniversary – 3 days before Christmas. She wanted to see one last anniversary, and did, but didn’t make it to Christmas.
More tissues were dampened when I heard the following song as part of K-LOVE Radio’s video Christmas card. It’s a true story a little boy who lost his fight to cancer but enjoyed of one last Christmas Take a moment, and let the lyrics of “One Last Christmas” by Matthew West sink into your heart.
Matthew West gave me a new perspective into the words, “Merry Christmas.”
Christmas Is Not…
That song made me realize that Christmas is not about:
Frantic rushing. Traffic jams. Guilt. Gift buying. Indulgent parties. Obligations with in-laws.
I actually like the idea of having Christmas without any of the above.
Christmas Is…
I popped into Twitter on Christmas Eve right before writing this to see Matt McGee share:
Isaiah 9:6 reads:
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
As we enter 2011 AD (Anno Domini), who would imagine the birth of that little baby would be causing traffic jams at shopping malls over 2,000 years later.
Merry Christmas! Make the most of your time with friends, family and loved ones.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, Dana – I’ve just read this and gone back to read the Humpty Dumpty post from October that I never saw and never heard about what all had happened. God bless you. I’m glad to hear you’re on the mend in more ways than one.
Time is precious. We waste so much of it on things that don’t matter. I’ve also tried to commit to ignoring silliness, pettiness, haters, and everything else that slows us down and distracts us from what’s important. The revelation hit me a few years ago — I call it my mid-life crisis.
Wrote about it here, I think you’ll identify with the sentiment:
http://www.atu2.com/news/like-a-song-i-still-havent-found-what-im-looking-for-1.html
Consider me your SEO brother on this quest for the Good Things in life. Keep the focus on what matters. Hope you had a terrific Christmas, and cheers to you and your family for great things in 2011!
Matt, I believe I’ve been experiencing that same mid-life crisis you wrote about in your post. I’m sorry your wake-up call included the loss of your cousin through drugs. Your story and your comment here touched me tremendously! “Focus on Good Things” shall be my motto as I enter into 2011. Thanks, bro!
Amazed at how much perspective is gained through songs! Time to turn on some U2.
Wishing you the best for 2011. Here’s to quality time with family, friends, and what matters most!