By Chris Kovatch

 

The holidays are rapidly approaching and that means things are about to get extremely hectic. As soon as the calendar read October 31, Christmas-related items were already lining store shelves.

Sorry Thanksgiving…you never stood a chance.

This time of year should be one of family, friends, and thankfulness; but for many it is a time of high blood pressure, fighting crowds for the best bargains, and trying to deliver the perfect gifts for everyone on your list.

I sometimes feel like Clark Griswold as he wrestles with the holiday seeming to go wrong at every possible opportunity. Side note: I also feel like Clark Griswold as I make plans for my outdoor decorations and calculating how many thousand Christmas lights I will need.

All kidding aside, this is a time of year where we should slow down and realize everything we have to be thankful for. At a time where the world seems to be becoming crazier and crazier, it is a time where we should take solace in everything we do have.

As we wrap up what has been a tumultuous year for most and set our sights on what will hopefully to turn out to be a much better 2018, I am hopeful my children realize all that they have to be thankful for.

My older kids definitely have a much better grasp on where we are in life and as a family. They left what has been their home for most of their lives as we moved into our new home. They have perspective that sometimes you make do with what you have so you can prepare for something better down the road. They see that working hard towards a goal will take you far in life just as reaching out to those who are less fortunate is something that we all should do.

My younger kids don’t have the same perspective just yet. I regularly have to remind them that just because they want something doesn’t mean they need it or will get it. Santa Claus is still a strong tool for leveraging good behavior. I regularly pull out my phone with my Naughty/Nice list app and call them over when they are acting up for the phone to determine what list they actually are on. Nothing will change an attitude quite like the notion of being on the ‘naughty’ list. It is quite the challenge of shifting from one perspective to the other.

We will continue to work on expanding their minds as to the real meaning of the holidays. We will focus on service and giving rather than receiving. We will spend time together rather than running the roads with things we ‘have to do’. We will focus on family and what that means. I truly believe if we can begin to refocus on what is really important as a society that we will see things begin to change for the better in the world we live in.