by Jackie Galvin, director of development and communications | December 29, 2016
Acclaimed author, poet, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.” I couldn’t agree more and at this time of year so many of us either had the opportunity to witness or experience untangling Christmas lights ourselves.
Unraveling crisscrossed, knotted, and frayed Christmas lights is a real test of our patience. We tend to want to hurry up, untangle and hang them so we can check this task off of our Christmas preparation “to do” list. But it seems, the more we hurry, the more bound the lights become, and we soon discover our hurried pace to complete the project quickly only lengthens the process. It is this hurried pace that often makes preparing for Christmas a chore instead of a holy season where we can find peace. That’s why the Little Sisters’ approach of “watchful waiting” for Christmas is far healthier than what most of us do. Instead of getting caught up in Christmas lights – literally and figuratively – they embrace Advent’s message of joyful anticipation of Jesus’ birth and rediscover how it changed the world over 2,000 years ago and still does to this very day. If we take this approach to Christmas, we’ll find it to be an even more joyous occasion to celebrate!
Speaking of celebrating, while the Little Sisters do provide thoughtful and holy ways for our Residents to find deeper meaning in the Advent and Christmas seasons, they also plan wonderful celebrations they and their families can enjoy. Starting with our annual children’s St. Nicholas Day party at the beginning of December and ending the month with a New Year’s Eve polka party, our Residents enjoy a host of activities in between. Whether it’s Christmas concerts and plays, our annual Family Night with Lessons and Carols, shopping, caroling, gift giving, or baking Christmas cookies, Holy Family Residence is filled with Christmas spirit! And, so many of these events are made possible because of your support.
To see just how much your gifts help, please enjoy this photo slideshow capturing Christmas in our Home.
Until next time,
Jackie
