Perhaps the most famous quote from Shakespeare is from Marc Anthony’s speech about the burial of Caesar.
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”
We often stop with the first line, and the second we seldom remember.
I’m extracting a modified version of the first line this morning.
Friends. Family. Countrymen. Read if you care to.
For 35+ years, we’ve lived far from family.
So the holidays are something we make of our own.
As we age, the ranks get thinner.
Thus, after a year of giving our attention to others,
We turn inward and focus only on ourselves.
The nights are long, but they’re starting to get shorter.
What we would have done back then, we’re putting off until later.
We’ve voted. Thank you very much.
We’ve celebrated seasons with our church and neighborhood.
But we seldom had family time. Focused on just us.
Until Boxing Day, that is, we gathered for the day.
But by night, all gone…the next few hours are long.
The fire dies down to embers red.
Ashes fluffy as dirty snow.
We slip back into routine.
Christmas is done.
What is it about family that brings cheer and tears
The heartbreak of loneliness is gone
You’re with someone you don’t have to fear.
Family you’re born with. That’s the backbone of life.
None of us is perfect. We’ve accepted that.
But the one thing I say is I’m glad they’re here.
It’s a growing process of learning each other.
The willingness to skip over the rough edges.
Reminisce, recall, and share what’s happening next.
Looking forward is built on the shoulders of the past.
Remember, but make memories.
That next generation needs it so much.
We feel our age and loneliness even more today.
Family events sometimes only happen once per year.
So get while the getting is good. Store up those memories.
They carry us through year by year.
My bride and I have known each other for over 50 years.
Our collective world contains the most of my memories.
But let me think about the “before times.”
Oh, those younger years of memories, they fill the void.
Don’t waste the time.
Spend lavishly and enjoy.
Cement the memories.
They will carry you through the years.
When traveling the Holy Land
The Garden of Gethsemane we visited
I thought about the age of the olive tree
It takes the hits of the centuries,
But keeps on growing.
That’s what I want my legacy to be.
The wisest man says it clearly.
I hope you read and believe…
A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
(Proverbs 18:24 NKJV)
Thank you for reading.
Please share with others.
It helps me get my book written!
(Below, you may find other topics similar to this one. Please read on!)