Every so often, God taps me on the shoulder and in His own gentle way says, "Snap out of it!" That's what has happened to me (twice) in the past few weeks.
Like many people this time of year, I've been feeling a little down this holiday season.
Since I was a little girl, I've always loved Christmas time. In my selective memory, I recall lots of laughter, good food, and outdoor fun in the snow and of course, many wonderful presents under the tree in what seemed like, in hindsight, the perfect family. I had a mom and dad who had a loving 64-year marriage, and 6 siblings who, for the most part, all got along. At 25, I met a man who had a similar healthy upbringing. When Phil told me his favorite movie was White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, I knew that Christmas would be very Merry...and so were the 19 others we shared as we formed our own family and our own holiday traditions.
I still love the holidays, but I have to work a little harder at capturing and holding the Christmas spirit since my husband's death 5 Christmases ago. And so do my 2 daughters.
In television specials, holiday movies, and even jewelry commercials, perfect relationships in the form of happy families and romantic couples abound. Like that's the norm in everyday America when in fact, so many people today are in less than what Hallmark might define as the norm. Now, families come in all shapes and sizes. And sometimes, a family...is a family of one. Whether through death, divorce, financial distress, or illness, Christmas time can be downright difficult, and lonely for many.
Back to the reality check.
This past Thursday through Saturday, I had the privilege of being one of the co-hosts of the Children's Miracle Network radiothon to raise money for the Sparrow Regional Children's Center in Lansing, Michigan. WVIC is one of our sister stations, also owned by the Rubber City Radio Group that operates 3 stations in Akron and 4 in Lansing. Throughout the broadcast, we met, interviewed and had life-changing exchanges with families who had the benefit of experiencing the Sparrow Children's hosptial team in the past, or others who were currently under their care. There were many inspiring stories of children and their parents who had faced the most traumatic of circumstances and lived to tell about it. And many other stories of children who didn't make it, but inspiring were their stories nonetheless.
I am still processing the many amazing and moving stories I heard over these pat 2 days; but was especially moved by one told by Natalie, a mom who lost her 6-year-old son Max to a terminal illness 2 years ago. Natalie came in to tell her family's story, and how the amazing staff at this hospital helped them get through this nightmare. Max was an amazing child, who left his mark on many (including us) who never met him. Since Max's death, Natalie, her husband and their friends put together a 5-K run/walk in his honor to raise money for Sparrow. After she talked to us on the air and encouraged people to call and donate, she went over to the phone bank and volunteered several hours on the phone lines. What an amazing woman.
Two weeks before my trip to Lansing, our radio station in Akron hosted a Tree Of Lights radiothon to raise money and awareness for the Haven Of Rest mission for Akron's homeless and needy.
It's a funny thing about what we perceive to be our challenges and problems in life. We often think no one could possibly understand our pain and grief, or have it tougher than we do. We'd like to be in another's shoes.
Be careful what you wish for.
I believe that if you were to walk into a room with 10 other people, and each person were told to stand in a circle and toss their bag of burdens into the center of that circle and then walk out with whatever problems from that you could handle.... I'll bet you'd pick up your own burdens and walk home feeling like they weren't so heavy after all.
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