The Puzzle

The Puzzle

Every Christmas my family sets up a jigsaw puzzle for all of us to enjoy piecing together throughout the holiday season. It really wasn’t until this year that I realized how much meaning the puzzle had for our family and about life itself. I was amazed by how this holiday tradition got the attention of all the family members, from 13 to 83. We often found ourselves shoulder-to-shoulder searching patiently many minutes for one or two pieces. Better yet, when someone eventually found a crucial piece, they’d get on a roll and fit five or ten more in quick succession. Sometimes you’d walk away for a breather; other times you’d sit there contentedly for hours just staring, searching, choosing, and hopefully making a contribution to the overall effort. Occasionally you’d get a little frustrated and try to force the wrong piece into the right space but found out repeatedly that you can’t get into a contest of wills with a jigsaw puzzle. In the end, all the pieces fit together to make a lovely picture that was the sum of the efforts of many family members.

After reflecting on this Christmas tradition for a while, I realized that this is how the journey works. It is comprised of many pieces that gradually form the whole of your life. Those pieces come into your life with their own perfect timing, and it’s futile to try to force something that just doesn’t fit. In your heart you know what works and what doesn’t. And in the end, all of these pieces will form a picture of your unique journey through life. They’ll fit together seamlessly, and the resultant picture will be perfect, clear, and quite beautiful.

“Who in the world am I? Ah, that is the great puzzle!”—Lewis Carol (1832-1898)

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"Tis the Season

’Tis the Season

I recently heard about a man who had been in a coma for some time and whose family had tried just about everything to wake him. It wasn’t until he heard someone singing a Christmas song that he awoke and then recovered fully from that deepest of sleeps. I can’t recall exactly what tune they sang, but it did the job, and now he’ll continue his life’s journey.

Christmas songs hold some of our most vivid memories, and I’m sure that no matter where you are or what you’re doing, hearing Christmas music triggers flashbacks to your childhood or adolescence and some especially precious moments associated with the holiday season. Never deny yourself a few minutes to reflect back on those days and all those special memories. One thing for sure, if I’m ever in a coma, be sure to play The Carpenters’ “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” or Andy Williams singing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” I promise I’ll wake up.

“What is Christmas? It is the tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.” –Agnes M. Pharo (19th/20th –Century American Writer)

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The Value of...

The Value of…

On a long drive recently I was listening to the radio and heard one of my favorite country songs, “Chicken Fried,” by the Zac Brown Band. Probably because I was born and raised in Atlanta, this song touches many chords with me. Among the many great lines in the song, one of my favorites is “no dollar sign on a piece of mind.”

I started thinking about all the wonderful things in life that have incredible worth but are often overlooked on a daily basis. What’s the value of a piece of mind, good health, your family’s health, friends, the love within your home, someone special in your life or one more sunrise? My wish for you is that in the hubbub of daily living, you take a few moments to recall the value of life’s simple but precious things. You’ll soon realize that they are indeed priceless.

“Well I was raised up beneath the shade of a Georgia pine

And that`s home you know

Sweet tea, pecan pie and homemade wine

Where the peaches grow

And my house it`s not much to talk about

But it`s filled with love that`s grown in southern ground

And a little bit of chicken fried” –Zac Brown Band 2008

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