Another holiday season is here. Another year almost faded away into a memory. As we go through day by day, we hope for sunshiny days, but in reality, we go through this life in a fog, not seeing the future. We think the path is straight but sometimes we come to a fork in the road and a decision has to be made. Or there are times when a mountain raises out of the fog in front of us. We must face things that seem insurmountable. Step by step, we make it through. We sometimes enjoy beautiful flowers along the way and scenic views of life we never knew we would experience.
Life is a journey, our route not straight, full of crossroads and detours. We carry two suitcases along the way decorated on the outside with the stickers of our life's milestones. One with memories to save and when we rest, we open the case and reflect on the happy God-given memories which give us strength to get through the hard climbs. The other suitcase contains our thoughts, our hopes, our dreams and our treasures of life. It also contains our anger and regrets and lessons we have learned weighing us down. Each day we need to take the anger and regrets and leave them in our past to make room for the good things. We keep the lessons learned to remind us. And hopefully we can share our treasures that God has blessed us with, with others.
Our lives this year has had struggles. I will not focus on them. We have loved ones near us and enjoy the little things and the big, like a kitchen remodel and a getaway. "It's a Wonderful Life" is my favorite movie and I guess it could be this year's theme as we went to Seneca Falls, the town that is said to be the possible inspiration for Bedford Falls. We saw the museum and at home, we were able to attend a showing of the movie on a big theater screen. In the movie, as George Bailey traveled through his foggy life, he kept being faced with detours and mountains. He had wanted a suitcase covered with stickers of exotic places he had been, but instead he had stickers of love, appreciation and hard work. Although his last mountain seemed insurmountable, with the help of friends and a guardian angel, he realized the value of life.
Our suitcase this year is covered with stickers of loved ones and places close to home. It is a wonderful life.
Our wishes for you in this holiday season are suitcases that are not weighed down with sadness or anger or guilt, but heavy with memories and the love they represent. May your new year be one of many more happy memories made and the right choices in what to leave behind. Vayos con Dios. May God bless your journey and may many stickers cover your suitcase in the new year.
Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Love,
Debbie & George