Family Values

I hate what the right wing conservative movement did to the term "Family Values." I also used to be sceptical about the whole concept of what exactly identifies a family value. As we get closer to Christmas, not knowing what next year brings, I get it more. And I think the definition is not nearly as pompous as the aforementioned group has deemed correct.

My life has always been peppered with fear. Fear of loss of my family that I grew up with, fear of never being able to go home to see my mom and dad, fear of losing my family now. Well, you know what? 2/3's of those fears have come to fruition. If my family isn't dead entirely, a large percentage of them are and the home that I would go to on the holidays is gone.  I cannot control everything in my future, but I can grab onto it with both hands now and hold the people most dear to me, the family...Husband, Wife and Child that we created voluntarily and organically through our marriage and love..... and make it the best damned holiday that we ever had.

We have our tree. We plan our meal. We forget about expenses and buy all of the things that we can to make our child's happiness come to a joyous peak on Christmas morning while she is still trying to keep the idea of Santa alive as long as she can despite, I suspect, her knowledge of the actual facts. We share egg nog in various alcohol/non-alcohol versions. We hold hands. We light the decorations in sparkling all over the living room. We will bake cookies and cook ham and have Christmas morning Sunday bacon, inundating the child with sights and smells that she can carry with her into the future when maybe not all of the family is there, when maybe the presents aren't as good or the holiday starts out in a place that doesn't feel exactly like home.

With everything in life, it is best to value what is in front of us. It goes by so fast. People leave. Families fall to the wayside as different wants and needs surface. Now is the time when we can value what we have, our family  that is here with us right this minute using the natural progression of the Christmas season to bolster it.

So, yeah, I believe in family values. Loving them while you have them, doing everything that you can to put them first and make them happy, valuing the joy of togetherness because it may not be here tomorrow. It could last until you die if you are very very lucky but you never know if this is the last day you have with them together and I hold onto that with my whole heart. Merry Christmas, the loves of my life, My Family. Let's make it the best one of our lives.