One Minute Miracles: Make a Connection

Remember the old AT&T Commercials that said “Reach out!  Reach out and touch someone.  Reach out!  Call up and just say hi.”  (Or something like that!) This year, in the midst of what has been the busiest year of my life, I made sure I took the time to connect with my family. It’s more important to me after dealing with how fragile life is this year.

After our annual Christmas lunch at work, we were able to go home early so I took that hour to send out Christmas cards.  It is rare for me to do that - find cards, write them out, find the address book, have sufficient stamps, get them to the mail box on time.  But I did it - I wanted to make sure that people in my extended family knew I was thinking about them and wishing them Christmas blessings this year. 

We also did a group Skype on Christmas Eve with family in four different states.  It was chaotic with lots of talking over one another and screens freezing up but it was wonderful to see my family on such a special night.  The next best thing to being there. 

Then, I had the good fortune to talk to my 95-year-old grandmother in PA by phone.  She wanted to sing a Christmas Carol - so we did.  My grandmother, my daughters and myself all sang “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” across the miles.  It made her night.  It made mine too.

Finally, this year, I wanted to make something special for my parents - a traditional nut roll that my mother made every single Christmas from as far back as I can remember.  I searched the internet for a recipe that sounded close and my mom said it was even better than hers.  It was just as I remember and I’m glad I took the time to recreate it this year.

My daughters and I have our own Christmas traditions - decorating, baking cookies, singing carols, watching It’s A Wonderful Life each Christmas night.  But this year I was fortunate to be able to reminisce and reconnect with the past.  I’m thankful that we have the technology to meet up with those far away through the computer and find long-lost recipes on the Internet.  It’s not like it used to be but it’s what we have today.  And for that I am grateful.