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Sharing warmth with each other

B4B-Sharing-WarmthThe Saturday before Halloween, I sat on the lawn of my neighbor’s house with some friends, watching the children run from house to house trick-or-treating at our block party. Fr. Wall, an old family friend, noted that there’s something special about the fall that makes us want to celebrate and have parties. He pointed out that the cooler weather drives us indoors and gives us reasons to share the warmth with each other. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years: these holiday memories are shared with family, friends, and loved ones. People love sharing with each other: we love giving from what we have to make others happy.

I pondered him saying this, and I realize that this must be why I enjoy the end of the year so much. It certainly isn’t the cold weather; here in Southern Alabama, it only slightly gets below 45 degrees. It isn’t really the holidays themselves either, because I tend to favor Easter and the Fourth of July over these fall and winter festivities. But I do love sharing life with people.

I love catching up with the people I see every week and those I see twice a year. When we get together, my friends and I belly laugh like the red-faced man himself. This is authentic living, and praise God that I have people to share in these joys! When my cousins take more than five black olives at our Thanksgiving dinner (yes, that’s a legitimate rule in my family), we joke and call each other out. This and small, seemingly insignificant moments like this are treasured because they are the epitome of living life to the full. I’m reminded how we were originally created: to share perfect communion with each other with nothing holding back our joy and love.

For the next few weeks, be sure to hug your loved ones tight and remind them how thankful you are for their joy. Give them things to laugh about, and make sure you are mentally capturing every moment. Be sure that when someone takes that sixth olive, you call them out but let them keep it anyway. Put away your phone, and just “be” with the people around you. and share in each of these moments of life. It’s like Kid President says: “There’s plenty of reasons to dance; you just gotta look for them!”

For the greater Glory of God,
Sarah Collins

photo credit.