Every year around the beginning of November as,Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday seasons approach, there is a delightful anticipation in the air. Spending time with family and close friends are what we most look forward to for those last couple of months.

It seems like it’s always easy to get sidetracked this time of year with everything from year-end work deadlines to calendar obligations, holiday travel and running around shopping in an attempt to find that perfect gift for someone. Add to that the stress of the constant media barrage of news coverage and the fear it brings and you can most certainly find yourself unable to enjoy the holidays.

Lisa and I recently made a trip to the Pacific Northwest to spend Thanksgiving with family. It was a change of pace since we usually host. As we were sitting around the table on Thanksgiving I could think of nothing else I’d rather be doing and of no place I’d rather be than right there with all of us, enjoying Thanksgiving dinner. Whatever was going on in other parts of the world or last week or next did not even enter my mind. I sat back and relished the moment and as I looked at Lisa, I knew she was thinking the same. Family is what it’s all about. Nothing else matters. I am so grateful for the time I spend with the people I love most.

I hope you are able to find time to just be with and share with the people you love most this holiday season. Nothing matters more.