Christmas week is always a busy and sometimes chaotic time for most families. Making a decision to celebrate as a family this year is a difficult one and causing even more stress. As our family got together earlier this week in a small group of 10, we still wore our masks inside, ate our meal distanced from each other, and tried to maintain our distance the entire day. It was a Christmas “tradition” that I hope never repeats itself. But we had fun in spite of it all and loved being together.

After leaving our family gathering, my son’s family drove on to visit other relatives, about two hours away. In the midst of pouring rain and high winds, their car hydroplaned out of control and hit a concrete wall twice. None of them suffered any injuries even though their car was totally damaged beyond repair. It was such a shock to go from the high of opening gifts to the low of knowing we could have lost these family members in an instant.

This Christmas, know that the real gifts we are given are those members of our family. Whether they are parents, grandparents, children or grandchildren, we are blessed to have them in our lives and we never know when they will be taken from us. They can never be replaced by anyone or anything else.

Enjoy the Christmas holidays, be thankful for the many gifts that money cannot buy. We at Whippet Properties of Florida wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and the hope of better times to come!