Its that time of year again. When we get together with our family and friends to celebrate.

For Christians, like myself, we celebrate Christmas, the birth of Christ.

However, there are a lot of people who also celebrate at this time of year.

Our African American friends celebrate Kwanzaa and our Jewish friends celebrate Chanukah.

This time of year is about family, friends, giving, and reaching out.

While most of us will enjoy the company of those close to us, there are many who can’t be home to enjoy.

There are our heros in Iraq. The public service people, police and fire fighters. The men and women who are working, driving trucks and flying air planes, delivering the gifts we bought and the food we will eat.

There are the service people waiting on us in restaurants, the gas station attendant who makes sure we get where we are going, and the doctors and nurses in our hospitals.

We also need to remember that we have homeless people and people in hospitals or have no family.

It is a time to celebrate.

Please, while you are celebrating raise a toast or say a prayer for all of the people who, for one reason or another, can not celebrate in their own traditional way with their loved ones or friends.

They are all our family.

Happy Holidays.