I still can’t believe that December is coming to an end so soon and the holidays are quickly approaching us. I know this year has been pretty busy for me and there have been many changes, but it seems like we just celebrated the start of 2018 last week. Where did the year go?

I do think many people look forward to the holiday seasons because it gives an amazing opportunity to spend time with  family and possibly friends, relax a lot more, enjoy life a little and of course the time off from work is pretty fabulous! My office is actually closed the entire week of Christmas and doesn’t reopen until January 2, 2019! I have never experienced such generous time off from an employer for the holidays before and I must say I absolutely  LOVE it!

I realize on the other hand there are many people who dread the holiday season for their own personal reasons. Even though it has been many years now, there are some loses that still feel very fresh years later for myself and my family. It has been nine years since my husband’s dearly loved  grandfather passed away, five years since my grandfather who I idolized passed away and four years since my husband’s loving grandmother passed away. Those that have passed away will live on in our hearts and souls for an eternity. Not only will we miss them with every breath we take, but we will always stand true to honor their memories of love, courage, compassion and inspiration for as long as we possibly can. I know that I am not alone when I say this, but I would give anything to have just one more minute with any or all of these loving souls. The joy that would be felt from hearing their voices or a simple hug one last time would be priceless and cherished. 

I do think it is natural to remember those we lost even deeper around the holidays, but we should all also still remember to rejoice with the family we are still able to spend these days with. The funny thing is, we do not get to choose our family because they are just given to us and we must learn to accept them with their amazing qualities and even their flaws. I mean seriously, no one is perfect and we all have our own faults that may drive other crazy, so we really can’t judge another for similar situations!

Life is way too short to allow for any silly little altercations to break families apart, but sadly I do believe this happens far too often. I can admit that I have held onto hostility and anger with some in my own family for much too long. With the harsh realities that they won’t be here forever makes me try letting go of those unpleasant feelings and find neutral grounds. I know I have said this before regarding other issues, but we are all different and have our own uniqueness to us. I guess I believe that all of our unique behaviors and outlooks are what makes us special and like no other!

There are many wonderful things we experience with the holidays, but it tends to make me a little sad. I miss those that are not with us anymore, but I do appreciate the family I have with me still. The way I am able to make it through the holidays with limited tears is I always have to continue reminding myself that those we have lost and still with us in heart, mind and spirit and that they are not living with pain any longer.

Every year I always feel that Christmas has lost its true meaning. The stores are always full of shoppers spending money they might not have and buying products just because they are a hot commodity.  I feel that Christmas should be more about family and less about buying gifts! There are no gifts that can take the place of our loved ones. There are way too many people who struggle just to put food on the table and have a roof over their heads, while others rush the stores. In my job now I hear really sad stories that break my heart. Just yesterday we were working with a single mother that was going to be homeless today. Myself and two of my co-workers, one of which being my boss,  were trying to find a place that could offer her a roof over their heads and shockingly most were already full and might not be able to help until mid January. I was so sad for her and her 6-year-old child to suffer like this so close to Christmas. Thankfully, we did find an extended stay for them to go to, but I was still shaken by this. This poor little girl will wake up Christmas morning not expecting gifts under the tree, but wanting a bed to sleep in and food to eat.

Thank you so much for visiting my site today! I know this post was little longer than what I normally post, but the holidays get me a little emotional. I am looking forward to reading your thoughts and I do promise to respond as quickly as I can! I hope you are feeling well and your weekend has started off wonderful. Please know that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love , comfort and many positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

P.S I was trying something new with the link below and have no idea if this will work or not. Once you read this post, please let me know if this link actually showed or if I did something wrong with it!

//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=fightmsdaily-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B00Y2CQRZY&asins=B00Y2CQRZY&linkId=ca976f9a503805fde0768d14a242da05&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”><iframe style=”width:120px;height:240px;” marginwidth=”0″ marginheight=”0″ scrolling=”no” frameborder=”0″ src=”//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=fightmsdaily-20&marketplace=amazon®ion=US&placement=B00Y2CQRZY&asins=B00Y2CQRZY&linkId=ca976f9a503805fde0768d14a242da05&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=true&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff”>