With the holidays coming to a close I realized one very important thing this year, it’s not about the amount of presents you received or even what you ate during the Christmas meal. The most important part of the holidays is being around either family or the people you consider family.

The holidays are always my favorite part of the year, it’s not just because as a poor college student the home-cooked meals are like heaven, it is because I get to be with family. I get to laugh with my aunts and uncles and listen to stories from my grandparents. The holidays are as amazing as they are because of the people I surround myself with.

The thing is, to me it’s not just about seeing each other for five minutes or exchanging gifts and rushing out the door. The holidays should be a time when you actually talk, laugh, play games and just overall enjoy each other’s company.

The holidays are about love; it’s about being with the people we love and creating memories that will hold a special place in our hearts forever.

So, I say for the next holiday that comes around, surround yourself with family or people who make you smile. Instead of rushing out the door, actually sit down and have conversations with your grandparents. Hear the hilarious stories of your parent’s childhood, play games with your cousins and overall actually be in the moment with your family.

Scrolling through Twitter, making sure you have the latest Snapchat filters and that cat video on Facebook can wait. While you are too busy immersed in your cell phone or constantly watching the time, you are missing something so special—the moment happening right now. In a year, the right moment will become a memory, so wouldn’t you want it to be one hell of a memory? The rest of the world can wait five minutes, those five minutes might become a story to tell for years to come.