I Believe in Yesterday

It is the threshold of the holiday season. It is expected to be a whirlwind of emotions at my camp. This morning I asked myself, "Last season was my last with Zach, but where was I the year before that?"

My parents came to Flagstaff to spend it with us in our new town home. We were nowhere near him. We had little reason to believe his outcome, and for that, this morning, I felt regret.

Last season we huddled together with clenched throats and wet cheeks of bittersweetness, sucking every drop of life with his every breathe. This season we will be reflecting, wondering why we did or didn't do things. We'll remember actions past and conversations spent. This is what I will be Thankful for this season. I will be thankful for the opportunity to know the time was limited, and I will begin to focus my gratefulness towards my children, my wife, and my family, even if they are seeming to very easily tramp on my nerves.

My holiday gift to others: if you have a brother or sister that you don't see eye to eye with, or a dearly important family member that you have had a disagreement with, please stop being so selfish. Appreciate the living now, and recognize the living because next season, they may only be a reflection.