A quick apology to our readers for not posting anything in recent days. Some issues with my laptop, and limited use to the ground computer, with the kids home, gave me little posting time. A CST road trip didn’t make it easier with the day job schedule either.
In any event, I had some ideas for a holiday greeting a la Steve Martin with a hockey based theme. Trust me, it was a doozy too.
Some observations in recent days made me think more about that.
With all the holiday rushing around and preparation underway, yet another dogging at the blogging time, we sometimes lose perspective of the importance of family values, especially around the holiday season.
It started to be brought to light just last night, after the Montreal Canadiens win over the Carolina Hurricanes. As fans were happy to see their team rebound after a dismal pair of losses, we learned of the tragic event that had befallen a Habs Alumni.
Our heart felt wishes and prayers must go out to Pierre Turgeon and his family, who lost their 18-year old daughter in a tragic car accident this week. One can only imagine the hardship and suffering that they are enduring at this particular time in the holiday season.
Of course, there’s is not the only tragedy that happened over the month of December, it is just one of many that happen over the world. I was reminded of that earlier in the week, when a young girl was killed by a drunk driver, just blocks away from where I live, and in the same week a young man in his 20s had taken his own life in my hometown.
Perhaps a real eye popper happened earlier this morning. As my coworkers and I cut out early from work on Christmas Eve, we shared our plans for the holidays. With some positive spirits back in check, I made my way up the road to tie up the loose ends for Christmas shopping, Ia funeral procession, making it’s way to the nearby Catholic cemetery, inched up along side of me.
As a step-dad to be of ten and seventeen year-old girls, who I have grown to love as my own, I cannot possibly imagine the thoughts of a family having to bury a loved one on one of the most important days of the Christian calendar.
It’s always said that it isn’t until something hits home that you realize how important family can be. These incidents clearly did not have any direct connection to me, but when grouped together the effect can sometimes be just the same.
For most of us this time of year it’s questions like, “What should I get for….?, How much should we spend? Why did Martin bench P.K. Subban?, or Did we get enough for everyone?” But meanwhile tragedies such as the ones I observed certainly make those questions insignificant, and make us happy enough that we have our health and our loved ones are safe as well.
It’s strange though, how events like this, or far worse on some parts of the globe, happen seven days a week, 365 days a year. But for some reason the holiday season brings the emotions out a little in all of us. Maybe it’s time we felt that way year round, rather than grumbling over the lesser things in life like a tacky gift someone bought you, or Brian Gionta‘s shooting percentage. Probably not an overnight change, but maybe one day…
That said, I wish a safe and happy holiday season to all of you and your families, no matter where you are, or what you are doing.
