With the holidays upon us, my wife and I are blessed to have all three of our boys home from college. It’s been a wonderful experience to have all of them home together for the first time in a long time. Not only is it precious time to spend together as a family, but we get to witness first-hand how they are growing and maturing right in front of our eyes. It is a very good thing to be a part of one, big happy family!
And then, there’s our dog Willy. He has been a part of our family for about eight years (if I remember correctly). He too is a vital part of our family. He has been there to experience the highs and lows of our family life. He has been providing us with joy, happiness, love and companionship all along.
We humans have a funny way of treating our pets. We talk to them in funny voices, like we are talking to a baby or a small toddler. We call ourselves their “mommies and daddies” since we treat them like our children. My wife and I even call him a “brother” to our three sons. It’s seems a little crazy, but think about it…pets are a part of our families too!
A “family” consists of those who surround you during life’s most precious moments. It is a group of those who make the house a home because they fill it with their dreams, joys, sorrows, friendship and love. It is a family unit that is bonded together by an invisible force, a spiritual embrace that envelopes all to a greater understanding that there is something special that is happening within. It is a family because of the love that we share for one another.
Today is the feast of the Holy Family. It’s an opportunity for us to be reminded that we are a part of God’s one, big happy family. To know that we are loved no matter what we do or how we act. To know that we are joined together with our creator no matter where we are or what we’ve done. To understand that we are sisters and brothers with all people, and that we are to love each of them just like members of our own family. It’s knowing that God will always have his arms around us and be there for us when we need him the most.
Let us praise and thank God for allowing us to be members of his one, big happy family!
