It is snowing outside, I am 10 pounds heavier from Thanksgiving and shoppers are out determined to find the perfect gift at the perfect price for the people on their lists. It must be Christmas time again.
To some Christmas is just a break from school. To others Christmas is just a time to give and receive gifts. But to me Christmas is a time to spend quality time with my family.
When I was a child, Christmas was all about material gifts that I received. I can remember laying awake in my bed on Christmas Eve determined to stay awake and catch Santa in the action, but I never could. I think my mom used to put children’s Tylenol in my sister and my hot chocolate to put us to sleep faster.
Then, I would wake up before the sun came up and lay there until it rose. We were not allowed to wake mom until the sun was up. That was the rule.
Sun up + mom up = wrapping paper everywhere and just like every preceding year the hype was over in five minutes.
Looking back now, unwrapping the gifts and seeing what Santa, I mean mom, left me under the tree was not the real present. The true gift was the look on my single mom’s face when she was able to give my sister and I what we asked for even if she had to work two and three jobs all year long to get it for us.
These kinds of gifts last a lifetime through the lessons that they teach us, not like the Barbie dolls that I cut all of their hair off, which made them ugly so I threw them away. Instead, I was gifted with a strong work ethic, determination, a love for my family and a drive to be just as strong as my mom.
To me Christmas is improving everyone’s day that you come in contact with, giving unselfishly and sincerely appreciating life’s many blessings.
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