I love gifts. Almost any kind of gift makes me feel good. Even if it is something I’ll never use (and maybe just throw) I appreciate the gesture of a gift. And, as we know, a gift is really only a gift when it’s received. Christmas presents left under the tree aren’t really gifts until they’re picked up, opened and received. That’s when it becomes a gift.

There’s a song that I’ve been listening to lately that I’m probably misinterpreting but got me thinking. It’s called ‘Stuck with You’ by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. I’m not sure if it’s acceptable for a 37 year old to be a Bieber fan yet, but I really enjoy that song. And, like I said, I’m probably reading something different into it than intended, but the sentiment to me is one of commitment. They’re saying that they’re stuck with each other, even in the midst of the tough stuff in their relationship.

Have you been to the cemetery lately? Maybe you went out and put flowers on a grave of a grandparent, parent, spouse or other loved one. Maybe you paid your respects to a veteran. Maybe you just like to walk through and read the headstones. Whatever your reason, if you paid attention, you may have noticed that parts of cemeteries tend to have less flowers and decoration than others. In the Astoria Cemetery, especially, you can see how the older, more northern portion of the cemetery is quieter while the southern and western portions are much more vibrant.

My kids range in ages of 3 to 13 right now, and because of this, I get to interact with them in different ways depending on their stage in life. And I can see how, though they are all rather different, they will express themselves in similar ways at similar stages. What I mean is that my 6 year old often acts like one older brother in particular when he was 6 and, unfortunately, how I acted at age 6. But hopefully that means I’ve developed some better ways of dealing with it, too.