“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 forget 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.
Today’s
Affirmation: I
cherish and nurture the spirit of Christmas within my heart.
