Well, the holidays are upon us and it will be a time of  food, family and friends.

Yesterday we were invited to a neighbor’s home that we did not know very well. They were kind in inviting us over for dinner, but when we arrived, we noticed it was a full family affair. They had invited extended family from all over and us (the only non-family attendees). My 13-year-old daughter looked at me & replied, “this is awkward.”  I immediately jumped in and started mingling (and believe me I am NOT a mingler, but this was an emergency situation). I smiled and began introducing my family as distant relatives that they had not met yet. wink. wink. I smiled & then reassured them that we really weren’t and that we were just crashing their Thanksgiving dinner. We ate, we shared, we learned about others, we helped their kids, and by the end of the night, we felt we were part of the family & genuinely left feeling lifted by conversations, questions, and learning about others and their stories.

My point. NO matter how awkward family functions may be and there will be moments of silence, awkward pictures & a need of some type of connection. Just smile and dig a little deeper to find some part of you that you can give genuinely to those around you. You will then leave full in spirit as well as food. Seek to find the hidden gifts around those you are with this holiday season. Everyone has a story to tell & there may be a lesson hidden in the details that is especially for you. And your simple smile and listening heart will be a gift to them as well.

We are all connected. Sometimes we just need to find the thread that connects us on a deeper level. Enjoy your holidays and the spirit that is present for all who seek it.

Happy holidays! -H