These Hands: On That 25th Day

Christmas was one for the books.

As a child, there are those elaborate notions of what Christmas is like--the magic, the warmth, the beauty.

The glow of those twinkle lights intertwined with the pine needles of the Christmas tree. Crimson bows adorned on presents nestled beneath a proud evergreen.

Folks skip around, happy and joyful with never a stranger near.

There is something about the season, it has a way of wrapping you up in its grasp and refusing to let you go.

And this year, I experienced a whirlwind combo of a child's Christmas mixed with a Mama's love for her son.

There was a thought never too far from my mind, as I looked on at my growing son. I couldn't help but think of Mary and Joesph and the birth of their Son. The love you have for your children is one that far surpasses all understanding and comprehension.

It is a love that runs deeper than any ocean, and stands stronger than any mountain. This love consumes you from the inside out, and all you can think to do is hold them close and never let go.

With the New Year upon us, many will be making New Year's resolutions, promising to better themselves, to eat healthier, to exercise more, to be more patient, to show love, to be happy, to be more fiscally responsible, to give more of themselves, to volunteer when they can, to donate what they have......and while each of these are respectable and positive in their own light, I do believe that we shouldn't wait til the beginning of a new year to better ourselves or the lives of those around us. The gift is nestled within the dawn of a new day.

We have an opportunity to do what we can with the time we have.

Life demands that we seek it out.

That we strive for better.

That we go with gusto.

That we dare to walk where no one else has.

That we take the journey ahead.

That we do all we can with what we have.

Life begins each day, within each hour, within each minute that passes.

Life is waiting.....

And if the magic of Christmas wasn't enough for my already bursting heart, God gave me my first ever white Christmas, on my son's first Christmas nonetheless.