Bittersweet Symphony

The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony is one of my all-time favorite songs. I don't know if the lyrics are the best I've ever heard, but I really enjoy the melody. Today was bittersweet for me. As usual, the Christmas season brings great excitement and joy, but once the family goes back home and I go back to work I am always a little depressed. Today was a momentous occasion for Shelly and I because today we became home owners! We closed on our townhouse and the place is now officially our own. This is very exciting for us. We will be happy to be moving out of our apartment and having a place we can really call our own. In a couple short months, we will have a baby girl and our life will change again forever. The year of 2008 has probably been the best year of my life - it was the first full year I've had a salaried job, I married a wonderful woman in June, Shelly and I are expecting a baby girl, and now I've bought my first home. All these things are joyous things, but it's also been a little stressful. So many life changing events in one year! Now that we are having a child and bought a townhouse, we've made a strong commitment. These events, while exciting and joyful, also all but guarantee that I will not be able to see my family in Indiana very often and this is very sad to me. I spent Christmas Eve and Christmas in Indiana. I saw my grandparents for the first time since the wedding. It was good to see them, but 2 days really isn't long. I saw my cousins/aunts/uncles for a couple hours. I got to see my parents and family a little longer since they came down to Atlanta with us, but 5 days isn't long when you consider a year is 365 days long, and with so many family members getting together during the holiday season it isn't often that we get to spend a lot of quality time with individual family members. This past week has taught me that we must TREASURE EVERY MOMENT we have on this earth. Every moment of our lives is special and we can never go back and relive our lives. Life is a series of changes both big and small. We can either treasure the time we have or we can worry our lives away. I prefer to treasure every moment and store every second I get to spend with my family in my mind and in my heart. As time goes by, many things will change in our lives but love will always remain in my heart for all of my family. While circumstances have led me further away from my family in Indiana, my love for my family only continues to grow. Sunday we celebrated the Holy Family. The Holy Family is the model family. All families are called to be like the Holy Family. All families have difficulties and my family is no different, but our family was a place of love just as the Holy Family was a place of love. Strong families are very important. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son and His Son was born to a Virgin Mary. He also had an earthly father figure in Joseph. This shows the importance of a strong family. It's not just a name giving to a group of related people, it's a way of living. It's a way of growing, learning, teaching and love. The family does not die when a member moves away. The strong family only grows closer the further apart they become. The strong family loves more as time passes. The strong family produces men and women who build strong families of their own. The strong family encourages faithfulness, a willingness to listen to God's call, and selflessness. May God bless all families on this day and always. I wish you all a Merry Christmas Season and a Happy New Year! God bless.