As the Christmas holiday passes by we can look around at the opened presents, the decorations and lights no longer special, and the leftovers clogging the refrigerator. All of the buying, cooking, and planning are behind us. Now we have the memories. Whether there are four people for dinner or a houseful for multiple meals, we were surrounded by family and friends. For some, it’s a tradition to visit family and use this as a time to reconnect.

As much as I enjoy getting gifts, especially from my now young adult children, I enjoy giving even more. Christmas isn’t about the shiny new “thing”, it’s about giving. It’s about letting someone know that you cared enough to find just the right gift. It doesn’t have to be extravagant. Some of my favorite gifts are the homemade ones. The gift doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to say that you love the person, and that you were thinking of them.

Maybe for some it is a “requirement” to spend the time with our families. To rekindle the days of love and happiness. To laugh about the silly things we did. To discuss what the future might hold, and what we can look forward to in the coming months or even years. But, it’s the part of Christmas that I look forward to the most. This is the time to put our phones down and talk. To sit longer over a cup of coffee or glass of wine.

My wish for the coming year is that Christmas is not the only day for that. My wish is to make the time to linger over coffee. To visit with our families and deepen the bonds of our love, support, and caring for each other. To press pause on our busy lives and just enjoy each other’s company. Here’s to a year full of joy and happiness, with plenty of reasons to linger over one more cup or drink.