Making A List

It’s that time of year when, along with the hustle and bustle of the holidays, we begin to look back to take assessment on the year drawing to an end and make resolutions for the new year ahead.  As I’ve gotten older, the areas where I place import have changed as well as the types of resolutions.  

To be honest, though, aging probably wasn’t the instigator behind how I reprioritized things in my life; it was a medical crisis with my mother and coming face-to-face with the reality of how life really can change in an instant. It is those life-altering moments which force us to recognize what is truly important.  

People, specifically family (whether you were born into them or chose them), top the list.  Be present in their lives; be there to lend a helping hand or an ear to listen. Be inquisitive about your heritage and listen to the stories told by your elders; those stories provide insight and perspective into your life.  Too often when our elders pass away, the stories go with them.

If more of us knew our own personal family heritage, maybe we (as a society) would be more tolerant, more respectful, more caring and even kinder to ALL people. After all, isn’t that the basic message of the holiday season?!