It’s my 6th consecutive Christmas away from home, and this one hits different. The Christmas season has always been my favourite time of the year, and I always looked forward to every single one of the 16 Christmas holidays I spent with my family before having to leave home in 2016 for study purposes.

If you paid my family a visit at Christmas, you would scarcely find Christmas-themed decor as is common practice in many homes. My folks have never really been into aesthetics much. However, you wouldn’t have to hang around much to feel the festive atmosphere. The vibe was palpable.

Over the years, having found myself in a completely different environment, I have slowly lost the enthusiasm that once bubbled within me at the scent of Christmas. First of all, there’s no holiday around here, and secondly, it’s just not the same thing without my family.

This post is more than just about Christmas, though…

In another post from a few weeks back which I dedicated to my sister, I hinted at the trade-off I have to deal with. My academic pursuits (and subsequently, a chance at a better life) have taken me miles away from home. At first, this didn’t seem like a big deal, but as the years continued to roll by, I gradually realized the unrecoverability of time.

Life Chart in Weeks

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled on a YouTube video that puts the importance of relishing every moment with loved ones into more perspective. (link attached in case you’re interested in checking it out)

The human life span was expressed in the number of weeks we get to live. Someone who gets to live up to 80 years spends roughly 4200 weeks on earth. About 600 of those weeks are spent being a kid, and approximately another 400 in our teenage ages. At 20, about a quarter of the timeline (over 1000 weeks) is gone.

For most, we get to spend these earlier weeks in the company of our family. As we grow older, things like studies or work might warrant us to move to new locations and thus introduce distance to our relationships with family.

The irony, however, is that as kids and teenagers, we were just living and had little or no inkling of the importance of family. We probably trivialized the blessing of having our loved ones constantly around us. We only start to live consciously and value family as we get older. Unfortunately, that is about the same time we are required to move away from home.

For me, this distant relationship came into the picture much earlier. I first moved away from home when I was 9. I enrolled in a boarding high school, and I spent all 6 years of high school living in the dormitory. In those 6 years, I only managed an average of about 3 months per year at home.

After high school, the pursuit of higher education shrunk this margin even further. After doing the math, the results show that I have barely spent only 3 out of the past 13 years at home (after the first 9 years of being at home full time). Quite crazy when you think of it. And these numbers might get even crazier in the next few years.

The Fickleness of Everything

Considering things in this light can be a little bit saddening, but it helps us appreciate every opportunity to spend time with those we love.

As we grow older, life throws many things our way that keep us engaged — that degree, job, project, etc. Amid all the busyness, it is easy to lose touch with family and friends over time. However, as we pursue all these wonderful things (which are good in themselves), it is important to always remember that while we may achieve all the things we seek after, we might not have the luxury of forever to share them with those with love.

As I journey through life, I have had the privilege of meeting and getting acquainted with wonderful sets of people. Some of these friendships have evolved to become family over time. I have also grown to understand the importance of making time for those I care about. I had to come to terms with the fact that as much as we want those we love to hang around much longer, we might not always get that wish.

So as you bask in the festivity of Christmas this year, make efforts to spend quality time with those you love and be present while at it. Reach out to that old friend that has been on your mind (I’ll be taking my own advice too). Relish every moment you get to share with the people that matter to you. When all is said and done, we are all we got.

Compliments of the season to you and yours!🎄