Every year since 1982, the 25th of December (Christmas Day) is a memorial day for me. One of the people who had the greatest influence on my life passed away that day. I remember the phone call early in the morning, telling me he was not with us anymore.
He was the first person close to me who had ever died. I was just 18 and for a long time I thought about not having the opportunity to say goodbye.
David was in my life only for 4 years. I was a teenager and he was in his early 70s, yet he was one of my best friends. He told me about his fascinating life and we talked about growing up, philosophy and justice. I loved him very much.
Most of the people in our life will leave us without the chance to say goodbye. This is sad, but true. No matter how hard we try to predict the future, most of us do not get the luxury of having that knowledge.
Every year, on Christmas Day, I thank David for teaching me a great lesson (among many other lessons he thought me – every gray hair had lots of wisdom). I thank him for teaching me this lesson before I had my own kids, because when my daughter was born I already knew and I thank him on her behalf.
Express your love today, because this may be your last chance
Holidays are opportunities to get together. For many, it is a stressful time. Some people feel sad and lonely, some feel angry and disappointed, and some are angry that they “need” to pretend to have a festive season when inside they are far from being happy.
Some people drown their sorrow in drinks, while others get into a shopping frenzy, in hope to ease the anxiety and the hard feelings. People have different ways to handle the holiday blues, but maybe during the holidays, more than at any other time, what we really need is more love and more expression of love towards one another.
For me, the holidays – every holiday and especially Christmas – are a good reminder that it is not about the gifts but about the relationships we have with people and how well we express our love for them, because we never know if this Christmas is going to be their last (or ours).
Happy Christmas and Happy New Year to all my readers and thank you for sharing the ride with me.
Love,
Ronit
