Rep's Corner

The hustle and bustle of the holiday always seems to give everyone a headache this time of year. As I look out my window I see hundreds of cars racing through the streets, probably making their way through town to a meeting or rushing to a mall to ensure their children get the year’s most popular toy.

In the depths of the season, beneath the stack of holiday bills, after the hours of shopping and worse yet wrapping the gifts, the spirit of the season somehow gets lost in the bustle.

Our children may see the stresses the season places upon us, but this time of year puts an extra glimmer in their eyes as they sing, dance diligently work on their wish-lists. If only the rest of us could put aside the stresses of the holidays and rather look at lists. If only the rest of us could put aside the stresses of the holiday season and rather look at them the way children do - as a time for celebration and joy. Maybe we too could fine that glimmer.

In this busy world, where our hectic schedules require us to be a thousand places at once and little time to get there, the joy of the holidays begins to lose its meaning. Instead of trying to spend time with family and friends, we are fighting other shoppers for gifts, rushing around the city and making the time of year more of a pain than of joy and jubilation.

We need to celebrate our family during this holiday season, not by seeing how much money we can spend on their presents, but rather by spending time with each other. We need to let them know just how much they mean to us throughout the entire year.

Instead of getting caught up in the material side of the holidays, try a different approach this time. Make plans with those you care about and spend some quality time catching up on events of the year. The time we spend with one another means far more than any material gift you can buy. With our busy lives, families often struggle to find time to eat dinner together. But once a year, we should make that extra effort. This opportunity to spend the holiday together presents itself only once. And we should take advantage of the spirit that comes with it and cherish that time.

The world can be a cold and difficult place, but we must not let that discourage us. I have learned that there are those people in our lives that make positive efforts and changes in the world. And it is those people we must take the time to let them know just how much they have meant to us. While there are obstacles we have to overcome, and falls we need to pick ourselves up from, we must continue to try and make the effort -- not only to succeed at our goals, but also to appreciate the people we meet along the way.

I hope your holidays are filled with happiness and health, good cheer, and the precious warmth of family together. And wonderfully, amidst the giving of presents and gifts, may each one of you receive these blessings, too. Happy holidays to each and every one.


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© Copyright 2008 State Representative Lynn Olman. All rights reserved.