What do you give your children, when you have nothing to give

I wrote this one last year around this time and I think it's actually more fitting now than it was when I wrote it.  The holiday season is a great time to draw your family close and be thankful for the blessings you've been given.  As many families are facing some substantial struggles I wanted to post this again.

I normally don't write the touchy-feely posts but I'm sitting here this morning reading headlines and thinking about all the troubled families out there and I feel compelled to get this off my chest and offer a little advice to any struggling parents out there.

Now that the holiday season is upon us it can compound the difficulties a lot of families are facing. Personally I have 3 little ones that I adore and want nothing more every year than to give them a big Christmas. However for many this is may not be a possibility.  If you're one of these families I just want to point out that it's not the abundance of presents under the tree that make it a great holiday. I know that the gifts I give my children pale in comparison to having mom and dad spend some quality time with them.

I know that anything I may give them this year will lose its luster quickly as they grow and become distracted by the distraction of life happening around them. What I realize is, these days I'm work longer hours to provide for them, my time is more constrained than ever.

So if you find you have nothing else to give this year give them your time. The hours I spend with my children doing what they want to do talking, wrestling, going to the park, watching a movie, or reading to them is far more valuable to them than any material things I can provide.