The holidays are crazy hectic. Besides ordering and sending Christmas Cards, attending holiday functions, kids’ Christmas plays and decorating every square foot of your home with tinsel and lights it can become easy to lose focus of what really matters. Honestly, Christmas last year was a complete blur. I worked a ton. That also meant that we decorated our tree super late, our friends got New Year’s cards instead of Christmas cards and I don’t remember watching even one home Christmas movie.
Everyone is asking what I’m doing for the holidays and apparently my response is not impressive. I’m getting ready for 2019 while working on being less busy but, more productive.
Of course I’ve slowed things bit just a tad for the holiday season.
I’m re-focusing on what matters the most and realizing that the world will not fall apart if I don’t write three blog posts a week. That’s why it was so timely that a stranger sent us this note at a restaurant recently. We weren’t even doing anything special.
My family and I went to a restaurant to have some lunch. My groom snapped this picture of the little folks and I in passing. Little did I know that this picture would mean so much more.
When we go out as a family, we often get comments and stares from strangers. They comment on how well-behaved the kids are and how well our family interacts with each other. A dad. A mom. Their kids. Living. Loving. Experiencing.
As “busy” as we are, family time has always been important and I’m proud of that.
Actually, earlier this year, after dining at a restaurant and attempting to pay the bill, to our surprise…our dinner had already been paid for. Not just dessert (which we’ve been blessed to experience before), but the whole dinner. Paid for by strangers in a city we were visiting, in a restaurant we had never dined in, by people we didn’t know.
Not by a family or patron but, by the restaurant’s managerial team. But back to the story…
So after our meal, our server handed us a folded napkin. It was given to him by another family that had been dining and observing but since left. There was a note scribbled on the napkin. The note just warmed my heart and expresses how the smallest gesture by a stranger can help freeze the everyday moments and remind us of what’s really important, especially during the holidays.
Truth be told, everyday is not calm. It’s not always dining in five star restaurants or homeschooling the kids while dashing to the next travel adventure or event. Life with two go-getter entrepreneurial minded parents can get crazy. We have hard days like anyone else. The kids misbehave. We get mad. But we TRY to lead with love. It’s times like these when God winks and say’s, “You’re doing OK.” It reminds me, “You know what…we are!”.
Actual note:
” Dear folks, Happy Holidays! The sight of your well behaved family makes my heart sing. Thank you for giving us a look into your memories. Mr & Mrs K”.
Make memories this holiday friends. It’s what matters.
Comments ( 0 )