Faith, Hope and Love of Family and Community

According to Pew Research, a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world, more than 2 billion people in over 160 countries consider Christmas to be the most important holiday of the year. In the United States, 9 in 10 people celebrate the holiday—even if they are not Christian. About a third of people in the US view it as a cultural holiday rather than a religious one.

Activities planned around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s become the central focus of many individuals as invitations are sent to enlist family and friends to come together for fellowship, food and fun. Some people struggle to make it through the holidays because of the stressful activities that come with it: the loss of a loved one, or circumstances that have changed the family dynamics, such as divorce or separations. Or, it may be that a family member or friend is scheduled to work on the holidays, causing the family to make adjustments so they can enjoy celebrations together.

In this edition of Our Health Matters, we offer tips to keep you from over-spending on gifts. We also share the heart-warming stories of medical director of forensics, Dr. Michael Weaver; EMS paramedic, Tara Hill; registered nurse, Cori Tharp; and Police Captain, Lionel Colon. They are professionals who make sacrifices of time away from family to work on some of the most popular holidays of the year. I applaud them and so many others who are there for us.

Whether we are connecting with family or nurturing friendships, this is the time of year to spread cheer and consider ways in which we can serve others.