Christmas is, at least for my family a time of tradition. I'm sure that to some, our traditions are trivial and probably not too exciting, but for me and my family, they are ours, and something I look forward to every year. For as long as I can remember, Christmas Eve would come, and with it the arrival of our tried and true tradition. We'd have our meal of chips and dip, popcorn, cheese and crackers, and whatever else sounded good, something salty and something sweet. We'd break out our comfy pajamas, sometimes new, sometimes old, and we'd then settle in for a night of movies. The movie choices always varied, except for the final movie- A Christmas Carol (with Alastair Sim, and only him). This year was no different. Oh, the meal was different, but just as always my family settled in for a quiet night.
This year I sat wrapped in a blanket on the couch, the only light the Christmas tree lights and watched the story that I've seen over and over. It never fails me how a movie, a black and white movie, fifty some years old speaks to me in some way or another. This year I was reminded of how Christmas is not just a one day celebration. Oh, it's true that it's the holiday marked on our calendar, and it's true I go home to my family and we open gifts and sing carols and dance our old traditional folk dance (hahahaha, kidding, there is no singing or dancing). But the real reason I celebrate isn't all shoved into one day. The "Spirit of Christmas Present" really summed up the whole movie and the whole holiday for me. "Mortal! We Spirits of Christmas do not live only one day of our year. We live the whole three-hundred and sixty-five. So is it true of the Child born in Bethlehem. He does not live in men's hearts one day of the year, but in all days of the year. You have chosen not to seek Him in your heart." I, however, want to choose that very thing, and choose to seek Him each day of the year. What I have found is that when I do that I experience peace, that's my world peace.
Ah the holidays.
Until next year Mr. Scrooge, until next year.
A few miscellaneous Christmas notes:
- When I was around six, we lived in an apartment. That Christmas I remember very vividly asking my mom how Santa would be able to drop off our presents. We had no chimney, AND we lived on the bottom floor. My mom was very quick with her response. "Santa, has a really big key for all those houses without a chimney. It can open any lock in the world. No worries. Santa will be here." Wow, that Santa is a genius. A pure genius.
- My favorite quote came out of my brother's mouth one year as he ripped open a present. He held the box in his hands and started yelling, "Oh, oh, oh, I love it! I love it! What is it?"
- This year my cousin Jake made our desert- Pumpkin Cheesecake. Props to you Jake! It was amazing!
(This was a picture from my drive home a few weeks ago...the snow really looked like this!)
1 comment:
I love the snow picture! Merry almost Christmas Eve! :)
Post a Comment