an eye, I know. I encourage you to treasure every moment and just Be Thankful. Being together as a family is everything regardless of the difference of opinions or personalities or past qualms. If you can't seem to find happiness or thankfulness this holiday put your life in perspective for a moment. 1000's of families will have a missing seat at their Thanksgiving table and the holidays will never feel happy or complete or okay. Ever. Many are painfully missing their children and having to look around at the healthy cousins and siblings living their fulfilled lives. This can cause extreme pain and emptiness. They secretly think of what would have and should have been. 100's will be in the hospital and instead of smelling a home cooked Thanksgiving meal they instead smell Lysol and have to listen to the constant, annoying beeps of machines pumping fluids and medicines. Medicines which are keeping their child alive. They instead should be home safe and happy not living in a sterile hospital. These families, if they are lucky, may make it to the cafeteria for a few minutes and steal a bite of dry turkey. All the while they are looking around at the other broken up and sad families spending another lonely holiday in the hospital. They will look at Facebook and Instagram and Snapchat and see their other seemingly happy friends and family who get to be together oblivious to their pain. Many have spent years and years in the hospital over the holidays dreaming of a day when life will be good and "normal". Knowing that "normal" may never come to be.
For me the ensuing holidays bring so much anxiety and sadness that at times it is almost unbearable. We will handle Thanksgiving this year by spending time at the beach and Disney. Hopefully bringing some nice distraction and happiness and new memories. But we will also concentrate on helping those less fortunate because this is a good distraction. This is truth: no matter how bad you think you have it there is always, always someone worse off than you are. If you are blessed and have your family together maybe try spending some time concentrating on helping others. You can never take away anyone's pain but you can always lessen their burden. Give to foster care, adopt a less fortune family, pay someone's electric bill, invite a lonely friend over for dinner, cook dinner at a homeless shelter, volunteer at a nursing home, etc. There are countless ways to give back. Everyone can do a small something that might bring a smile to someone who otherwise would spend the holidays lonely and depressed.
On that note, if you want to do something and don't know what exactly, you can always help us with our Christmas family. This is a family of a young single mom who struggles daily to give her son a good life. And she does it mostly alone. She is unable to work a steady job because of her son's needing constant medical care. She battles her fears and worry daily as his almost 9 yr old body fights the effects of many years of cancer treatment and two transplants. But she fights on and remains positive and hopes for a happy future for the both of them. Making their life a little easier is what helps me keep things in perspective. I am not some amazing giving person. I selfishly need the distraction and perspective and we couldn't make it awesome without help from our friends who also care. And this is all in honor of sweet Mary who always thought of others first. #livelikeMary
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