Every holiday seems to get a little harder as we are now the eldest generation in our families. Losing the last of our parents is harder than I imagined it might be. I remember one of my cousins sharing her thoughts a few years ago as we talked about losing our parents and becoming the generation that others would look to. She had much wisdom to share and hopefully, we’ll be able to carry through and stay connected with our families in the years to come now that it has passed on to her brothers as she passed a couple of months ago.

As we prepped and made plans for this year’s holiday gathering, I was crushed to have to cancel it because we were sick and wouldn’t be healthy enough to carry it off. I worry that our kids won’t have the desire to continue to connect with their cousins and their children won’t know their extended family either in a few years. We’re now making plans to hold our holiday party in January. Fingers crossed that with everyone’s schedules, we’ll find a weekend that will work for a majority of our extended family.

Here’s to health and family ties in 2025.