The Magic of Christmas

To me, Christmas is wrapping all your gifts early and being the first to put them under the tree. It is going to the cande light Christmas Eve service, singing "Silent Night" amid the glow of the candles reflected on everyone's face. It is creeping out of bed late Christmas Eve and sitting by the tree, the lights being the only light in the room, drinking a cup of hot chocolate and remembering, thinking, and dreaming. Christmas is being awakened early the next morning by excited brothers, pulled into your parents' room while they the camera ready to preserve us walking down the stairs, catching our reaction to all the lovely gifts on film for all posterity...or at least their grandkids. It is begging a brother to open his gift first in order to see his reaction. It is stealing the camera away from daddy in order to film him opening his gifts, too. Christmas is sitting amid the piles of wrapping paper, smiling and watching brothers look back over all their gifts. Then it is packing up all the new toys along with a few days' clothes and heading out of town to visit family. That is what Christmas is to me. Even as I write this, I realize how blessed I am. I have two parents home for Christmas every year. I have a close family that loves to give gifts. I have the money to afford to buy gifts, and my parents can afford to buy all of us kids gifts as well. We can afford to drive out of town to see more family, get more gifts. And so often I take this for granted. This year, I pray a little kid like me gets to experience Christmas the way I did and do. I wish every kid could. So this year, as I celebrate the brith of a tiny babe who was born to save the world, I'm going to remember. I'm going to cherish every moment, delight in every word and action. I'm not going to take it for granted.