A very Merry Christmas and yet also a sad one

Merry Christmas, everyone!

My goodness, what a big day it was around here. A good day, but one also tinged with sadness. More on that later.

Sometime during the course of the night, while I was passed out on the couch, my wife wrapped up all of the presents and placed them under the Christmas tree with care. Yes, even her own! Moms — getting sh$t done since the beginning of time. God bless the good mothers everywhere.

In morning, we opened presents, and the kids were surprised and seemed to really like their gifts this year. It’s been a crazy year for us, what with the big move, hectic schedules, and parents always busy with work. We thought they deserved it this year — not sayin’ they were perfect, but overall, they’re good kids. From us and close family/friends, the kids some clothes, Nerf blasters, books, wooden racks to display their martial arts belts, Disney Infinity 2.0, Spycraft Night Vision Goggles, some Legos, a 3DS for Lily, and a new Pokemon game (Thanks, Uncle Paul and Auntie Biji.)

In the early afternoon, my mother-in-law came over to start cooking. The Chackos (my sister-in-law and her family) also arrived. The three David women started cooking beef biryani, ate lunch, and chatted. Yes, the men ate too. The kids didn’t eat too much, as Joshua, Lily, and Sofia ran around like nuts. My father-in-law came later in the evening after performing church services in Staten Island, like every year. We had a really good Christmas dinner that night, took lots of pictures, ate flan, and opened more presents.

As for the sadness, we learned that a dear old family friend, Prasad Varghese, father to some close friends, passed away that day while out on a trip out West. He had battled cancer for two years, and looked like he was coming back. However, he contracted an illness while on his trip, and passed away. No news yet on the viewing or funeral arrangements. Very sad.

I think it is indeed true that we can run around like idiots for work, but we all need to stop and think and hold our loved ones close. This is the stuff that really matters. It’s not the exceptions on the latest metrics report that matters. It’s not trying to stay late at work so you can get ahead, but miss your family. We all NEED to get out there, spend time with our families and friends, and keep those bonds strong. I spent a lot of time working late this year nights and weekends, and it wasn’t worth much in the end. Our family and friends are the ones that are truly important.

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