What is Christmas?

When I think of Christmas, I think of many things.  Some of them are quite obvious while others are a little more obscure or minute.  I thought I would share a few of them with you on this Christmas Even of 2012.

  • Christmas is trying to decide to get for my wife; she does so much and asks for so little-how did I get to lucky to marry her?
  • Christmas is going to my in-laws in Kentucky and having a feast and wonderful fellowship;  not many people have great in-laws like mine and the memories I have with them, pleasant ones, would fill an expansive volume
  • Christmas is walking around the “Valley” where I grew up; I had 24 first cousins and 20 of them lived within a block at one time or another during my childhood; we give a real meaning to the term clan
  • Christmas is having that first child and then that second child and trying to decide whether they like the gift or the wrapping better
  • Christmas is staying up until 3:00 am to put together a Playmobil pirate ship for your son
  • Christmas is buying camping gear for your son as he advances into scouting; we had to decide whether to get real or imitation down; 20 degree or zero degree bag-if you are a parent in Scouting you can understand this one
  • Christmas is waiting in anticipation as your child comes home from college the first time-you are so happy to see them, but you wonder just what they did learn in that first semester
  • Christmas is seeing things change in your life as people grow and change, and seeing how the traditions are maintained or change as the years pass by
  • Christmas is about attending church together and noticing how others do the same-at the same time you marvel how the years go by so quickly
  • Christmas is about getting up at 5:30 am with your son to put 14 pounds of pork shoulder on the smoker; you then go back into the garage an hour later to make sure the smoke is not setting off the smoke alarm
  • Most of all, Christmas is about love; the love of my family, the love and friendship I have with so many and the love God showed us by sharing his only son to pay for our sins-if that is not the definition of love, then I don’t know what is.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.  I am looking forward to and enjoying mine.