Christmas Time is Here

It is upon us, once again, the time of festivities, of joy we seem to lose over the course of the following year. The time so filled with cheer and joy, gratitude and grace. A time of blessing and being blessed, when laughter surrounds us, and friends and family are near. When we are filled with hope and love. But for many it is not only a time of merriment, but a time of stark remembrance.
For this time is not a naive bliss of merry and light, because inevitably the times of greatest happiness, of most fervent joy, are when we most strongly feel the absence of love lost. It is now we feel the tug of our hearts missing another in greater measure, and it is this time when laughter is halted by a thought of the way things should be, and those who should be here.
We remember those lost to us. Those who we parted with in relief of their suffering, those with long lives to celebrate, those who fought tragic battles and left a legacy for family to follow. Of those who were taken suddenly and tragically, wrenched from us before we could let go, those too young and too loved to leave...but however their going, they are gone. And here we are, this time is here again, but this time a love is missing and only a memory remains.
And this is not morose or unfounded grief, but a recognition that even the most glorious blessing and joy is so blessed because of a suffering that makes it so. And the presence of happiness reminds us of the absence of it, the feelings of joy remind us of sorrows...we remember but are not overcome.
This Christmas I am with family, I will see friends...some, but not all.
There have been many partings among us over these past few years, more than I would like to count, but in my heart I will remember each with a specific joyful memory. And for a moment be filled with missing, and a wish for them to be here, and a memory of a time they were. But I will turn, with a new love and joy for those who are here, and be all the more blessed for their presence and for this time in which they are here.
For some grief is still very near, so for them we remember and pray:
For joy to meet them in sorrow,
For blessing to meet them in missing,
For love to meet them in love lost.

May this Christmas find you counting your blessings.