Day 339 Question 339:

What do you believe that everyone needs to be reminded of from time to time?

I spent many years disliking Christmas because my grandmother passed away on Christmas morning when I was only 13.  For a long time, I never really knew or understood the meaning of the holiday and this time of year.  It is about the gifts…it is simply about love.  I had only 13 years with my grandmother and I can no longer feel anger of sadness because she was taken away….I feel lucky to have had those 13 years.  There are families in Connecticut that has lost a small child….they will not be able to see the wonder and the curiosity in their eyes as they hear about the magic of Santa.  My grandmother was in her 80’s when she passed and for what I have known she lived a good life with many people that loved her.  These families did not have enough time with these little ones.  My time of sorry and anger because of my loss is over….it is my time to keep these people in my heart for years to come because their struggle will always be much bigger than mine.  Their loss is one that will never make sense to them and even though they may accept it as time passes they will always feel an empty place in their hearts.

I still am unsure what I believe in but I cherish the opportunities that I have to give to those that I love (and I try to do that all year round instead of just at Christmas time).    I have learned that no matter what religion or belief system you may hold, that life truly is short and we need to take advantage of the opportunities in every moment to show those around us that we love them….that they are important….that they matter. We need to stop criticizing and playing the blame game and focus on the good…we need to take the time to say I love you and to lend our ear or our shoulder to not only friends and family but to anyone that may need a helping hand. We must start learning and modeling compassion and empathy because that is what this world needs more than ever right now! So I ask for nothing this Christmas but this. To all those that are parents, I know you will spoil your children and they deserve it but remember to teach them about giving back….show them how much more meaningful giving is than receiving…this will allow them to model for others as they grow. To those without children, whether single, in a relationship or married (and even those with children)….stop for one moment and think before you speak or immediately judge and remember you have never walked a day in another person’s shoes.  The homeless man of the corner begging for money may not be a drug addict or an alcoholic….we do not know his struggle….give people the benefit of the doubt….trust me he already feels that the world is against him.   Have faith in goodness…believe in it with all that you have because you may be surprised by the power this one simple thing can hold!

With this whole tragic school shooting I have seen so many stories and a lot of arguments about gun control and mental health issues and criticisms flying all over the media about the mother of the gunman…..criticisms in general about what everyone thinks about this or that.  I ask for everyone to remember that we will never know another person’s motives or thought processes in any moment…we have never and will never spend a day looking through their eyes and thinking their thoughts.  The blame game and criticism will solve nothing….if anything it will just add fuel to the fire.  This is something so simple to understand but unfortunately anger and violence have become a norm in today’s society.  It can be difficult sometimes when you have been hurt over and over again but try to give people the benefit of the doubt and believe in their goodness….you may be the only one that does.

Always Remember:

– Charlotte Bacon, 2/22/06

– Daniel Barden, 9/25/05

– Rachel Davino, 7/17/83

– Olivia Engel, 7/18/06

– Josephine Gay, 12/11/05

– Ana M. Marquez-Greene, 04/04/06

– Dylan Hockley, 3/8/06

– Dawn Hochsprung, 06/28/65

– Madeleine F. Hsu, 7/10/06

– Catherine V. Hubbard, 6/08/06

– Chase Kowalski, 10/31/05

– Jesse Lewis, 6/30/06

– James Mattioli , 3/22/06

– Grace McDonnell, 12/04/05

– Anne Marie Murphy, 07/25/60

– Emilie Parker, 5/12/06

– Jack Pinto, 5/06/06

– Noah Pozner, 11/20/06

– Caroline Previdi, 9/07/06

– Jessica Rekos, 5/10/06

– Avielle Richman, 10/17/06

– Lauren Rousseau, 6/1982

– Mary Sherlach, 2/11/56

– Victoria Soto, 11/04/85

– Benjamin Wheeler, 9/12/06

– Allison N. Wyatt, 7/03/06