Skip to main content

A holiday surprise/blessing

Like every holiday season, it was hectic and draining this year. Many presents were opened. A lot of food was eaten. A number of people called for the family to do shots. Movies and football were watched. Music was played. Laughs were had. There was one moment, however, which stood out from the rest this past Christmas season.

A family member of mine had alienated himself from the rest of the family for the past 10-15 years. I hadn't seen this individual for roughly 8 or 9 years. After hearing about an awful accident this person was involved in, I wondered to myself if we'd ever see each other and interact again. I thought, "Was it really worth it? The grudge(s) which prevented you from spending time with the family?" That's one thing that's always struck me about grudges. None of us know full well when our time will come in this life, so if tragedy strikes either us or an individual to whom we've given the silent treatment for years, how much regret will be felt? 

Before this person's shocking arrival, I and many others within the family wondered how we'd react if we were to see him again. Many of us had felt disappointed, hurt, even betrayed, so if we were provided the opportunity of opening our arms back up to him again, would we forgive, turn our backs, or perhaps forgive but not forget? Well, at least on this one evening, we all opened our arms, and at least for one final time, we felt like a complete family again, just like old times. 

I have no idea if this was a one-time thing or the start of a trend, but I'm grateful I got to at least spend one final Christmas with this person. Whether or not I ever see him again, I wish he and his family nothing but the best, and while I'll forgive but have trouble forgetting the pain he inflicted on the family, I vow to open my arms to him each and every time he allows for it. Hoping the new year brings you good health and happiness.
Labels:

Comments

  1. SarcasmMyShieldJanuary 6, 2019 at 1:08 PM

    What a blessing indeed. Wishing all the best for you and this family member of yours. When we're blessed with a loving, supportive family that's always willing to open their arms and hearts one more time, we shouldn't take that for granted. Too many have a different story. I am very thankful for my family's unconditional love, and I sincerely hope this loved one of yours understands just how lucky they are to be a part of your lovely family. :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Boycotting jukeboxes because of TouchTunes

I love music and enjoy hitting the bar(s) over the weekend, so naturally, when the mood strikes me, I've never been coy about playing some songs on the jukebox. This past Thursday, a friend of mine turned 50, so several friends of her's, including myself, all met up to celebrate the occasion. At around 9:30, a friend of mine and I both chipped in $5 to play some songs on the jukebox. Four hours and 231 skips later, we gave up on hearing the songs we had selected, and went home knowing we had just wasted $5. This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened to me (and many others), and due to that, I'll be boycotting jukeboxes. Why? The scam known as TouchTunes. You see, here's how the plot typically breaks down. A person (or group of people) downloads the TouchTunes app on his/her phone, consumes one too many adult beverages, and due to this, has less care for spending extra money to hear the songs of their choosing right NOW. That's the thing with TouchTun...
2 comments
Read more

The difference between "looking" and "checking out"

I may be way off with these numbers, but it's my approximation that at least 75% of individuals whom are involved in a serious relationship feel it's perfectly acceptable to "check out" members of the opposite sex they're not involved with. Meanwhile, approximately 25% either don't feel this is acceptable or aren't sure about the matter. I hadn't thought about this matter for a while, but since I've been dating a woman for about 8 months, the topic has been pondered about some. When reading or hearing others discuss this very issue, I often times hear comments similar to the following: "It's human nature to look." "There's nothing wrong with checking others out. I'm sure he/she does it too!" "It's fine to do it. Just don't tell your boyfriend/girlfriend about it or do it in front of them!" "It's natural to find people attractive." When observing the array of comments, I i...
Post a Comment
Read more