There was a lot to be thankful for this Christmas. I must say, it was by far, one of the best Christmas’ I can remember.

Aside from all the lovely gifts I received, the laughs and quality family time are what I will cherish the most about this Christmas.

I has been an amazing year for Josh’s family. His father is a recovering alcoholic..going on 2 years now. This Christmas his family was genuinely happy to be with each other; instead of Christmas’ past where it was all a facade. The laughs and tears they shared will be something I remember for a long time. My heart almost burst with emotion as I watched his father give his mother a gorgeous painted table she had been eying for a while…it was pure genuine joy that came across her face with tear filled eyes as she hugged his father and thanked him for the gift. 

Josh told me later that night that he didn’t know if the day would ever come when his family would have a happy Christmas again, he thought those days were long gone. 

It has also been a tough year for my parents financially. My mother is a real estate broker; the market crashed and along with it their bank account. Things were touch-and-go since January. Up until about 3 months ago my brothers and our spouses/significant others were helping my parents pay their bills. They were in serious jeopardy of losing their home and their marriage. Finally, 3 months ago, real estate took off for my mom; so much so that she can barely catch her breath. 

We had a great Christmas with my parents. They were not able to give us loads of gifts as in years past, but that is just fine. My brothers and I were fortunate enough to be able to shower our parents with gifts. After all; they’ve done so much for us over the years that we couldn’t possibly repay them. It was so moving to see my parents happy again with smiles on their faces, that was gift enough for me. 

I hope your Christmas with your families were just as wonderful and that you had much to be thankful for.