During the homily of the feast of the Holy Family last Sunday, the Deacon reminded me and made me realize of how important the following things are: 1. Family, 2. Prayer Life, 3. Taking Action and 4. Not Worrying/Not Stressing.
Family
Growing up, I've always put family first even if it means putting myself last. I've given even when I have nothing left. This year, I've realized that a family is more than who you sacrifice for but also who sacrifices for you. They share with your blessings as well as with your disappointments. Through thick and through thin. I love my big crazy family.
This year, I started my own branch on the family tree. When I married Mare, we knew that it was not just a commitment to each other but also to the family. We have learned to explore and experience the Chinese-Filipino-Italian-Polish-American cultures of our families. Each day, we feel blessed to be part of all of this.
Prayer Life
Living in NYC gives you that excuse of "hustle and bustle of city living" but it should never be an excuse to forgo your faith. I can honestly say that my faith grew stronger when I moved almost 10 years ago here in the city. This year, my prayer life was focused on married life. Mare and I have been very active with our faith journey. We discuss homilies over coffee after church. We made sure that our wedding was not just about the party but a sacrament witnessed in Christ by our families.
This coming year, I am praying for a more "deliberate" action within me to increase time exploring my faith and listening to the words of God.
Taking Action
We can pray all we want but God needs us to put things into action. We dream of big things in life but we stay so comfortable doing what we are doing that we become paralyzed of our own in-actions. The act of Joseph taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt has become a vivid scene in my mind about taking action. And so this be my guide in taking action in 2011.
No Worries and No Stress
Ask my friends, they'll tell you that I am a planner. From simple college thesis, to trips to Vegas and wedding preparations, I'll have a binder that will put some Executive Planners to shame. It has helped me in a lot of ways while sometimes putting me on an extreme.
Every year, I dread Christmas shopping. I worry and stress over what the receiver will think about the gift or worse, what they'll think of me as the giver. However, this Christmas, I attended the my wife's maternal side Christmas eve gathering. It struck me that everybody got gifts they needed/wanted but was not the focus of the night. Everybody was focused on everybody else that was there... on how they have been, what their plans for next year or if they are having enough pierogis/fried fish. It was about the gathering of people and not of gifts. No worries, no stresses.
I might have just flushed out these thoughts in my head without rhyme or reason but these are the thoughts that made my year end on a great state of being.
