Eryn, Santa, & Isabel 2011
The Holidays are a time of giving; selflessly. Christmas is magical and once children come along the magic takes on a whole new meaning. When Eryn was born I had almost a whole year to anticpate her first Christmas. But I had no idea how awesome it would utlimately be. Christmas is one thing, but BEING Christmas is an entire new ball of wax mistletoe! Being Christmas is a new adventure. Being Christmas happens when a child, your own or one you love enough to be your own, opens a little space in your heart, making it bigger and better than you knew it could be. And Eryn’s first Christmas gave me another new lesson in “heart enlargening”. With every Christmas since, especially with her sister, my heart leaps in sizes!
When Christmas comes to a household with children a magic it’s own begins to manifest. (I could go on and on about the anticipation of wrapped gifts lurking under the tree, shining with speculation and excitement; the frozen snot of late afternoon sledding and searching for reindeer poop in the snow as proof that Santa is truely watching). Anyway, onto Christmas morning . . .
Once we become parents the magic of Christmas starts to actually grow inside of us. Why? Because WE become Christmas. We are the ones who tell the story of Mary and Baby Jesus and the Star (if that so applies- I am open to other traditions). We are the ones who shop and wrap and hide gifts from peeking eyes. We become the spirit of St. Nick, waiting till sugarplums dance in their heads to sneak treats in stockings and take bites outta cookies. And all the while it is magic! It is tradition and sentimental, quiet moments and yet always hectic. It’s the prime rib and ham and ornaments and scotch tape (double sided or disappearing). It’s Secret Santa and parties. It’s baking and wrapping and shopping. Yes, Christmas has taken on a “bit” of the commerical, what with Black Friday and Cyber Monday and Green Monday (?) and all the shopping and sales and mayhem. Yet, doesn’t it all come down to recognizing the real magic of Christmas in ourselves? To give, not to receive?
The real trick is to cling to that feeling all year long! The real meaning of Christmas, for me, anyway is the dazzling, sleepy smiles of my children the morning of Christmas. Yes, it is the celebration of Christ’s birth, but it is also the celebration of children and their innocence and delight in lights and wrapping paper and, even, reindeer poop (that is evidence. And how does one know the difference between mule deer poop and Rudolph droppings? The glitter . . .duh!).
Merry Christmas! And let’s remember the Reason for The Season (Christ’s birth) as well as the magic in children. For didn’t Jesus say: “Let the little children come to me?”
