What I think Christmas is about

I was in my car headed home one day, Christmas music on the radio, not thinking about much.  The song "Do You Hear What I Hear?" was on the radio.  My nephew, Dylan had just had a birthday.  Our family had gotten together to celebrate my niece, Katelyn's birthday a week or so before.  And I was thinking about the upcoming Winter Break and the things I would do.

Christmas is usually celebrated as a combination of the following:

• Jesus' birthday
• St. Nicholas (Santa Claus)
• Winter Solstice
• A time to feast with family and friends
• Gift giving
• Crazy, hectic cooking, cleaning, baking, decorating, traveling, shopping, wrapping, spending
• The stores, parking lots, roads, and post offices are crowded and filled with long lines.
• Everyone talking about "Christmas Spirit". 

That magic that Christmas holds for children is the true delight of the holiday.  So as I was singing along to the Christmas music on the radio, the reason I think Christmas is meant to be celebrated came clear.  Maybe some of you feel the same way as I do, but I have never heard it expressed quite this way.

I believe Christmas should be a celebration of the child.  Every child who is born has the potential to be the next "savior."  Will this child be a peace maker, a teacher, a healer, a miracle worker?  It's possible.  With children, anything is possible.

So the giving of gifts should be thoughtful.  What gifts can you give that will help a child be the best he or she can be?  Your time, your experience, your wisdom, your love seem to be the most importatn gifts.  Find out what they are interested in doing, what talents can be fostered? Wrap up your experiences and give the children in your life the keys to develop into self actualized human beings with endless possibilities.

Every child can be the one who makes the world a better place, imagine if they all grew up that way.
That would be something to celebrate!
Enjoy the holidays with your family.  Be grateful, be centered, be present.