The last time I did this, life seemed much different. We are now getting ready to spend our first Christmas without my mom. It all kind of seems a bit unreal to me still. But, I guess I will need to come to grips with the fact that the life that had eggnog, kids running all over the living room, my mom looking very small underneath the pile of presents that we brought to her, Saturday morning coffee in the kitchen with the bugs flying overhead has ended. But, as I think about the task of looking through all of her stuff while I am back that week, I am reminded that although one life has ended - it does go on for the rest of us. I just hope that somehow during the stress of the holidays we can all appreciate how quickly it goes and how so much of the enjoyable parts are missed because of silly things that we let annoy us way beyond their limits of importance.
So as I write this, I hope to remind myself that life is a gift - the one I have and the ones that share theirs with me. Heaven has to be real. Family matters. Keep some perspective. Keep your eyes open for the good things and don't dwell on the bad. Life is a gift.
JAH
