"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never
find it under a tree."~Roy L. Smith,
(from Joy to the World, 2003; Hallmark Books)
Good morning! While
we check our light strings for working lights,
and gather cookie-making recipes, and confirm
event dates, and dress children for concerts and
plays, let's not forgot to look for the
Christmas spirit in its most important
place--our hearts. With everything going on this
time of year, it can be easy to be checking
externally for signs of the holiday, but we
should be mostly concerned with the signs
within.
What is the Christmas
spirit, anyway? I posed this question to my
daughter when she was ten years old. I asked
her, "If you could capture the Christmas spirit
on little pieces of paper, and tuck them into a
bottle to last all year ...how would you define
the Christmas spirit?"
She said, "What are you talking about Mom?"
I tried again. "If someone were to ask you,
'what does the Christmas spirit mean,' how would
you answer?" First she said "Bah, humbug." Then
she started laughing, saying she was just
kidding. She went on to answer: "It is about
giving to other people more than to yourself."
"The Christmas spirit is
being jolly and remembering all the things to be
jolly for."
"The Christmas spirit is
about getting excited, and having belief, and
magic, and faith."
"The Christmas spirit is
about having everybody available in your family
together... except if it is a really big outdoor
dog."
"The Christmas spirit
means, even when you don't get what you want,
you're still grateful for what you did get." She
paused thoughtfully. "I don't think I've ever
had that happen, but if you don't get what you
want, don't start yelling at the person, as they
tried their best."
So, what is the Christmas
spirit? It is all of those things Samantha came
up with and more. The themes underlying all of
her statements are gratitude, caring for
another, taking time to be present with one
another, giving of ourselves, expecting, and
believing, and receiving magic.
Your Turn:
Today, take a moment to bring the Christmas
spirit alive in your household. Ask each family
member, over dinner, to define the Christmas
spirit. Then post their answers on your
refrigerator as your personal family-reminder of
what this season is all about.
