The Blessing of Family

Had to run a quick errand for the boss today.  When I got in my car, Steven Curtis Chapman was playing on the radio.  It was quiet since I was in the car alone (I'm usually singing and acting silly for Drayton!), so I had a chance to stop and listen to the words he was singing...

Well I guess I should go ahead and tell you [Santa] now
If it's really true about that list you have
Somehow I always seem to end up in a fight
But I'm really trying hard not to be bad
But maybe if I had a brother or a dad to wrestle with
Well, maybe they could teach me how to get along
And from everything I've heard
Sounds like the greatest gift on earth would be a mom

All I really want for Christmas
Is someone to tuck me in
A shoulder to cry on if I lose
Shoulders to ride on if I win
There's so much I could ask for
But there's just one thing I need
All I really want for Christmas

Is someone who'll be there
To sing me “Happy Birthday”
For the next 100 years
And it's OK if they're not perfect
Well, even if they're a little broken, that's alright
‘Cause so am I

...
All I really want for Christmas is a family

Just a family

That's all I really need

The line "even if they're a little broken, that's alright, 'cause so am I" really captured my attention today.   

The fact is, many of us come from large families.  We have lots of cousins, aunts/uncles and siblings.  Some of them get on our nerves.  Sometimes our parents, and even our children get on our nerves.  Occasionally our spouses get on our nerves.  You just can't grow up with someone and never have a disagreement.  Its impossible for 2 people to live together in perfect harmony, always seeing a situation in the exact same way.

There are no perfect families.  Every family has times of drama, crankiness and rude comments.  We are all imperfect people, and since families are made up of people, they all have their own version of problems.  Families are usually pretty good at mending fences and building bridges though.  In my own family, I know we always find a way to forgive and love, and, although we may get on each other's nerves and let our opinions of each other be known with loud, boisterous, rude comments, no one from the "outside" had better mess with one of us.  We can come together again real quick if the need for defense should arise.

Amidst all the chaos we deal with comparing calendars and trying to get everyone together, we sometimes forget this simple truth:   there are people in this world who will spend Christmas alone this year.  People who would give anything to be part of a family, even a broken and imperfect one.  

If you will be spending your Christmas holidays in the company of even 1 person this year, you are very richly blessed.