Without a doubt, this is my favourite time of the year. Very soon, family will gather from far and near for what has become more of a Christmas season than just one day. We’ll cook up big and then graze over a number of days so we can enjoy each other’s company. There are the joint celebrations with everyone crammed in and the air-conditioning turned up, as well as lots of individual cups of tea and, for some, fruitcake, to enjoy just chatting one-on-one in between the comings and goings of different parts of the tribe.
On Christmas Day, we’ll go to church and celebrate the real meaning of Christmas, marking the birth of Christ, God’s gift to us.
At the centre of the celebrations will be my beautiful mother, Norma, who hit 95 years of age this month. She’s not that mobile these days, so it means family coming to her is even more important. The time together is more important than presents. It’s about making new memories and remembering the old.
That’s why, on her behalf, I’ve collated and printed a family photo album for the grandkids to remember some of the Christmases of the past and other family gatherings with their grandparents, including with my late Dad Gordon.
Applying the principle “better done than perfect”, the album was created on the fly. But even with all its imperfect lighting, blurry bits and dodgy composition, it captures life, love and family and achieves its purpose of treasuring good memories.
It’s also made me realise something else. As you know, with modern cameras in our phones, it’s very easy to lose memorable photos among the plethora of everyday snaps. In future, I’ll try to make sure special family photos are tagged and filed in online folders for easier future reference. However, my takeaway lesson isn’t so much about better filing of pictures but remembering to see the bigger picture – the need to keep an eye on what’s precious, no matter how busy you are.
Which brings me back to why Christmas is precious. It’s at least one time in the year where the busy every day is put to the side and the things that matter become the main focus.
I wish you and your loved ones peace, health, joy and much love in shared memories.
I would also like to thank the Sunshine Coast Community working on the frontline over the Christmas or supporting the vulnerable.
As always, don’t hesitate to contact me if there is anything that I can be of assistance with.