Somewhere for Christmas . . .

 

No matter where you are this Christmas Day, I hope you are somewhere with the ones who mean the most to you. Whether family or close friends, these are the people who make a difference in your life—the ones who share your ups and downs, who share the experiences that shape you into who you are.

Somewhere for Christmas, there is someone who no longer has that privilege. Some of us have lost loved ones during this holiday season, and for them, this day will always bring memories. I hope those memories someday brighten from stark grief into warm remembrances.

Somewhere for Christmas, there are others who are alone. For the lonely, I wish the comfort of connection. No matter how hard life becomes, it always seems to be easier to bear when there is someone else there.

I think of all the life stories I've had the privilege to learn through this quest to discover my family's history. There have certainly been sad times and lonely times, but somehow, it helps to know someone before me has gone this same route—and made it through. There is much we can learn from what our ancestors endured. One of the best gifts they give us is hope.