For many, the celebration is over. These past few weeks leading up to the holiday have represented so many different things. Some were enjoyable, others were just chores, still others were necessary but far from enjoyable.

  • Shopping excursions pushing through crowded stores, looking for that special gift (or any ol’ gift will do…).
  • Money has been spent on gifts, decorations, food and travel.
  • Decorating has taken up so much time, and still one has to take them down and store them away for another year.
  • Room has been made for our traveling family members, and special parties have been planned.
  • Schedules have been adopted to the needs of family, church and weather.

So, you’ve opened your last gift, partied with family and friends, watched your last late night clock tick past midnight, and taken people back to the airports. Essentially, you get to this first day of returning to normal life worn out and exhausted. For the first time some have celebrated this season without loved ones. For others a special someone could not make it to the event, a gift hoped for was not received, or even a gift given was not appreciated like we had hoped. For many this season was just a big let down. There’s something missing in many adult eyes, something that was once there, maybe seen only through the eyes of a child.

There are some around us that have finished with all the parties and gift opening sessions and are just wondering what comes next? When is the next party? How long do I have to exist before I can have another enjoyable day? How many days do I have to tolerate this existence before something of joy comes along?

So, what’s next?

I began to think about the big let-down that this holiday season has become to many around me and thought I should start considering how to make this day a more meaningful day. Something that will make every day a better day. Something that will make me more appreciative of the celebration of this season… If instead of allowing it to become just another day, could we not challenge ourselves to make it a day with meaning… His birth brought to us a life of hope, full of promise.

By Michael Gurley

Making Sense of Life, One Thought at a Time!