The Christmas season is finally here (for some it has been here since the day after Halloween) and we are all scrambling to finish our Christmas shopping, decorate the house for the guests, bake Christmas cookies, and if you're a college student, you are heading home for a nice, long, well-deserved break. With all the business that comes during the holidays, it is common that we forget about what is truly important during this time: Family, friends, Jesus, and whoever else you get to spend your holidays with.

Do not forget to cherish time with your family. There are some people who are experiencing their first Christmas without a loved one. This will be a hard and painful time for them as they try to still find joy in the holidays without everyone that used to be there. There are some people who are having their first Christmas with separated parents, and they too will struggle through the holidays because of all the new change that comes with it. Hold your family tight, stay in on a Friday to watch a movie with them, take advantage of time with relatives that you only get to see at this time of year. Family is everything, but we often forget how to truly cherish them and honor how privileged we are to have them.

Do not forget to make time for your friends. Have a lunch date with a high school friend that you have not been able to keep in touch with due to the business of your lives that has come with growing up. Go to that holiday party with your hometown friends and keep those bonds alive. Friendships are so important in our lives, and the ones with your lifelong friends just can't be matched.

Do not forget about faith. Jesus is the reason we even have Christmas and I think that people always seem to get caught up in all the presents and cookies and lights and forget to reflect on who and what we should actually be celebrating. Bake a birthday cake for Him, go to a Christmas mass, or say a prayer before Christmas dinner. Honor Him in some way and devote time to the one who deserves it most.

Embrace the incredible joy that comes with Christmas and show that you care by getting into the spirit of giving. Not just with presents, but with love. Have a great holiday :)