Home For The Holidays in My Heart

This has been an exceptionally difficult for year for me. I remember this time last year, preparing for New Year's, and saying 2009 was going to be the best year ever for our entire family, and tearing up this year right before Christmas at the sadness of how it didn't even come close to that statement I made.

This morning I woke very early, yet again, and went back to my face book page. Yesterday, I spent time setting up a facebook music player with 18 songs that were meaningful to me. I spent the time, alone, the kids were occupied with friends or Christmas gifts, and I seriously thought about each individual song. The alone time, along with the music caused me to reflect on this past year. I have been so home-sick for so long, but for people, not really a place..as my family is truly spread out all over the Country, and some family members are still fighting in Wars in foreign lands.

So when I awoke, I went to facebook to re-listen to all of this music that I hand-picked for special reasons, it led me here, to share a testimony of the heart. I realized that although certain events took place throughout the year that caused me to "see" it as at one of the worst years ever, we definitely have had worse, way worse. (It was one of the songs that reminded me of this, that the worst ever title goes to 1998 and we have much to be thankful for as a family.."on a prayer, in a song..when you come back to me again") I began to realize that Facebook alone this year has reconnected me to people I once thought lost to me forever, and Skype and webcam's have put me back in touch with those I love and have not seen or heard from, some in over 30 years that I never stopped thinking about. I began to realize my kids, who were aching for those missed relationships were always fighting for time on the computer for the same reasons..the music took me there..the people who saw the list of 18 songs knew exactly what they were about and why or who or what event led me to choose those particular songs.

It was a walk down memory lane, that reminded me I was still loved and still had family, friends, and a place in this world where I wasn't alone, even at Christmas and Holiday times. This year was not bad at all. Sure some bad stuff happened, but if not for the blessings of the Virtual Networks, like the Community of Christ CyberCongregation and Facebook, and free video chatting, it sure would be lonely in these tough times. So many wonderful things have happened to me this year, just by having the ability to turn to my wonderful virtual families, my virtual friends, and ask for prayer, or simply talk for a while about what I am struggling with this week, or even just in that moment and someone is always there to help, to lift me up, to pray, to listen, to care..no, it has not been a bad year at all, but a year filled with blessings beyond blessings.

So, I sit now with headphones on, and I write this testimony that my heart was touched, and through music and memories, I was reminded that 2009 was a wonderful year, for it allowed me to go home in my heart.

With Love and Blessings to all,
Sandra