I am on my way back home after a trip to visit my mom. We are thousands of miles apart, so these reunions are not everyday occurrences. Each time I go back home, the dynamic changes slightly.
We were able to celebrate both Christmas and a belated 70th birthday for my mother. My mother has a huge extended family with four sisters and all of their progeny. The dinner included 60 relatives. My brother and sister helped me coordinate the entertainment for the evening. We organized some games and everyone participated. The joy and laughter reminded me of the raucous holidays I remember from my youth. I regret that distance will make it difficult for my boys to enjoy those same memories.
I also took a tour of my high school. It was amazing to see them any changes and improvements since I graduated many years ago. I felt a twinge of jealousy. We played on a field that barely had grass--it was mostly dirt and mud. There was a brand new field covered in artificial turf that we viewed from an enclosed function room overlooking the field. We had a converted classroom for a stage. They now have a 500 seat professional theater.
And yet I must admit I realized that I no longer belonged there. My time had passed. It was now up to others to assume those roles. I had moved on.
I later realized that it was like that with my family. No matter how hard I wished for everything to stay the same, it would not. We could never freeze these moments in time even if we somehow wanted desperately to keep things exactly as they appear in this moment. It will be that way for my boys, too. The aunts and uncles who were vibrant in my youth will slowly age and be replaced by our generation. I hope we can keep their traditions and their focus on the family alive.
While that might be sad, it is also true and immutable. We need to fix our gaze directly on this moment and cherish it. It will never be the same way again.
This chapter is closing. So is 2012.
I hope your 2013 brings you even greater success in the days ahead.
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