Tuesday, December 18

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

     Jesus, Christmas lights, joy and merriment, presents, bows, surprise, Christmas trees with ornaments, bells, music, mangers, wreaths, holiday goodies and cookies, Santa, candy canes, and snow.

     Oh, remember as a child how magical and special Christmas was! Thanksgiving came and went and then you waited and waited... and waited! for Christmas to come! Everything seemingly sparkled and anything green and red put you prancing on your toes. Houses lit with lights were exciting and even homework, as long as you had hot chocolate, seemed bearable this time of year.
     There were always cookies to be baked, movies to watch, parties to go to, and gifts to wrap. You spent weeks on end thinking about what you wanted to ask Santa for, then rewrote your letter (or letters) twenty times to make sure they were just right. Finally in the dim, warm light of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve dad read the Christmas story and the fireplace was opened for Santa. Cookies and milk were placed on the hearth and you got sent to bed. How were you ever expected to sleep on such a night?! But somehow one minute you swore you heard reindeer bells and the next you awoke with the first crack of dawn. With that Christmas tingle in your stomach you rushed to wake everyone up and ran to the living room to see what had been left under the tree in the middle of the night!

     Over the years children grow into teenagers who transform into adults and our child-like faith is lost, things just aren't the same. It saddens me to know that Christmas doesn't come naturally to many adults anymore. I walk into stores where people frown, shove, and argue over anything! There's no light in people's eyes and we view it as a bunch of tasks and lots of clean up afterwards. But Christmas is about joy, peace, and love; it's about giving and thankfulness!
    I am still a child at heart and Christmas excites me even now! I love picking out the perfect gifts and wrapping them with paper and ribbon. I still point excitedly when I see Christmas lights and sing at the top of my lungs when I hear Joy to the World. I imagine every large star is the Christmas Star and house decorations just aren't complete without stockings hung by the fireplace. I think everyone deserves a "Merry Christmas!" and I want to know what you asked Santa for.
     This season (just like every other time of the year) there's things we could worry about... Money, cars, school, jobs. But let's focus on what we do have and keep in mind what Christmas is really about. Family, memories, love, laughter, hot chocolate, and magic. So if you need to go for a drive and look at Christmas lights, go ice skating, take pictures, decorate your house, or bake cookies to get in the Christmas spirit then do it!
Make memories and Merry Christmas!

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