A Lesson in Listening: Holiday Reflections
This past Christmas brought a new twist to our family tradition.?
As the eldest sibling, when my sister and I decided to take over holiday dinner cooking, we went all out with a pretty delicious menu: crab-stuffed salmon, roasted turkey wings, racks of lamb, grilled asparagus, creamy mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, and roasted vegetables.?
Though we have no photos that captured the moment ??, the memory of our family in matching PJs, eating dinner, marked the beginning of what we hope will become a new tradition.?
More significantly, it was the first time my mom - the family “five-star chef” - didn't have to buy, prepare, or organize Christmas dinner.
Her response surprised me when I asked my mom how it felt not cooking this year. She didn't express relief. She said, "It feels weird. Like I forgot to do something."?
Her words revealed that cooking wasn't just a task - it was her love language, her way of creating holiday memories and connecting with family through their enjoyment of her food.
This holiday season reminded me that truly listening means setting aside our assumptions.?
While I thought I was giving her a break from cooking for our usual gathering of people, I learned cooking was actually her source of holiday fulfilment (even though she moaned and groaned about it in past years ??).
Sometimes our deepest understanding comes not from what we expect to hear, but from what others actually communicate when we take time to listen.?
In 2025, may we all practice the art of listening with an open ear, ready to discover more about those we feel we know very well.