Merry Christmas!

The big day is here! I will be spending the day (and the coming days) hanging out with my wonderful family. We did our usual Christmas Eve routine - Midnight Mass (although tonight it was at 10) and opening gifts after midnight. The priest delivered a good message - as most Christmas sermons should be - about remembering and sharing the simplicities of life. Sharing love, spreading reconciliation, accepting differences. Everyone can use a little.

My family is unlike any other. They are all so giving and loving, I couldn't ask for a better family. Family is one of those things/concepts/ideas that we can take for granted in an instant. We think, "oh that person will always be there". That's not necessarily the case. Change happens in an instant. I believe that Christmas is the perfect time to tell your loved ones that you do, and continue to, love them.

Saying I love you makes a big difference. I know I get a certain warm fuzzy feeling when someone - my boyfriend, my sister, my parents - tell me that they love me. It's a tiny affirmation that tells me "Hey, you're loved". There are a lot of folks out there that lack love. Whether they are lonely, isolated, alone, or abandoned, there are people who never hear utterance "I love you."

Say I love you. Spread the love.

Merry Christmas!