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Home  >  Christmas • Musings  >  Reflecting on Priorities This Christmas
ChristmasMusings

Reflecting on Priorities This Christmas

Matthew Klint Posted onDecember 25, 2016December 25, 2016 7 Comments

I’m thinking about priorities this Christmas.

Syrian Christmas
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and First Lady Asma celebrate Christmas at an orphanage in Damasucs, no doubt joyful that the civil war appears drawing to a close (via Instagram)

While I’ve spent four days dwelling on Garuda Indonesia First Class a civil war continues in Syria. It appears thankfully drawing to a close, but 400,000 have already been killed.

War rages in Somalia and Boko Haram continues it campaign of terror in central and western Africa. Ethnic violence continues in Sudan, Libya is still burning, and nearly 10,000 have been killed in drug-related deaths in Mexico this year.

Yes, war seems an inventible bane of human existence, but that’s not all.

Millions continue to starve. Clean water is still scarce. Access to affordable health care is limited, even in wealthy nations like the United States.

And then there are friends and family separated by great distance. By distance, I don’t just mean geographically, but great chasms of pain and hardship. Sometimes we bring that on ourselves by forgetting what our priorities are.

24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week is simply not enough time for the ambitious to accomplish their goals. Thus, we must learn to use our time wisely, lest we fall into the trap of selfishness or foolishness.

Here’s my thought for your this day, whether you celebrate Christmas culturally, religiously, or not at all. Evaluate your priorities please and make sure that you are truly doing what matters most.

My wife is encouraging me to fly to Singapore tomorrow to secure the Garuda ticket (and not of a desire to get rid of me). I have grave reservations. What would it profit me to gain the Garuda ticket, but lose precious moments with my wife and child?

We humans tend to be good at convincing ourselves to do what is not in our best interest. Sometimes the only way we know what is in our best interest is to listen to others. Hearts can be hard; minds can be stubborn. Often, it is the gentle admonition of a loved one that finally helps us to see the reality of the situation.

Oh, getting caught up in first class upgrades and five-star hotels is a great sport, but woe to us if it ever supersedes the loved ones in our lives. With so much conflict in the world this season, let us count our blessings and remember to be charitable to those in need. Let us make our priorities right each day of the year.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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7 Comments

  1. Wendy Reply
    December 25, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    Take Heidi and the baby with you to Singapore. I think it is a great way to start the Lil ones love of travel.

    • Matthew Reply
      December 25, 2016 at 5:52 pm

      I wish I could, but the baby’s passport has not arrived yet.

  2. Dakota H. Reply
    December 25, 2016 at 5:29 pm

    Very well said, Matt. Merry Christmas.

  3. Mike Reply
    December 25, 2016 at 5:45 pm

    Great post. Yeah it’s definitely not worth it to go to Singaporre to chase the Garuda ticket. I was recently in a car accident and that’s required major surgery, and have had to re-evaluate priorities with a baby on the way. Now those trips to Staples don’t seem so interesting. I couldn’t imagine wanting to fly 18hrs to argue with an Indoneisian airline rep.

  4. Mser Reply
    December 25, 2016 at 6:17 pm

    Glad you’re having some reservations about going to Singapore. Can’t imagine any sane person going there just to get a cheap F seat to somewhere you’ve likely already been – and then you will have to wend you way back home (so how cheap is that flight after all?)

    The only upside would be something to blog about. But are you so desperate to blog about something that it would be worth leaving your family? I’d be flabbergasted if it were. Your days of making irresponsible choices are behind you…

  5. Kenny Reply
    December 25, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    Thanks for the great reminder, something we always should keep top of mind, but we tend to forget.

  6. Christine Reply
    December 26, 2016 at 2:28 pm

    Great post, Matthew. I’ll be looking for an update to learn the outcome. I mean, your wife encouraging you to fly to Singapore is pretty amazing.

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