Monday, January 5, 2015

Families - there when you need them!

Families do not necessarily have to be someone related to you anymore.  The bottom line, as far as I am concerned is that families are people that are there when you need them most!  They can be friends, neighbours, co-workers, etc.

As I mentioned in a prior post, my daughter and her family were transferred in 2013.  Going from the East cost to the West coast, is for us, just about the farthest apart we could possibly be.  With her having small children and us having other family members here on the East Coast, it is difficult to be together over the Christmas Holidays.

I am writing this blog to "Pay forward" how my daughter and her friends solved the sadness of not being with their own family on Christmas Day.  They got together and made up their own family and invited others to join in their "Family Christmas Dinner"! (see picture below).  They rented a hall that had kitchen facilities and warming ovens and they were good to go!

Everyone had a list of what they were responsible to bring - turkey, ham, veggies, etc. and with joint efforts everyone was able to share each other and their families to celebrate what may have been a lonely day for most involved.

I think this is an awesome idea and wanted to pay it forward for others - to let them know, you do not have to spend the holidays alone if you are willing to open your hearts and invite others to join you.

We had a tradition at our home when my children were smaller that on Christmas Eve, we got together for a pot luck dinner at my Mom's house and Santa delivers a small gift to each child.  It was wonderful to be with family on Christmas Eve plus it would wear the little ones out so we could get them to bed when we returned home!  My daughter Stacey, has taken that tradition with her to the West Coast and has invited neighbours in and around the Court she lives on to participate with their families.

My thank you goes out to my daughter Stacey's new friends and neighbours for helping make the holidays special for my daughter family and to help ease her burden of missing her family!

Definitely a wonderful idea to "pay forward" to others that cannot be with their family on various holidays.  Enjoy!