Merry Christmas to all

Alas, it is I who has the unfortunate task of writing a Christmas day post. Such pressure.  Such expectation. I nearly told Doug I would resign my contributorship before tackling something so complicated.

After all, Christmas has a different meaning to every one of us. It can be a deeply religious day. It can be a day of celebration. It can be a day to remember happier times or lost loved ones. It can be a combination of all these things. To many people, in fact, it can be just another day, be it a Monday or Tuesday or whatever. Christmas functions as the jack-of-all trades when it comes to holidays.

And I wondered how can a single post take into account all these differences? How can one message convey so many emotions? As I said, it’s a difficult task, but someone has to do it. So I tried to focus on how anyone, regardless of their religious affiliations or beliefs, can enjoy this special holiday.

From the very beginning, the spirit of Christmas has been hopeful. It’s a festive time of cheer and togetherness, of joy and kindness. The earliest celebrations offered thanks for bountiful harvests and peaceful days and brought enthusiasm and hope during long Winter months. Over time, Christian celebrations became intertwined with these festivities, for the birth of a savior was a joyous occasion all its own to be honored and celebrated by all who believe. And so we arrive at our current age, understanding of all that’s come before, and we can recognize the value of this holiday in bringing people and families together in the spirit of hope.

With sleigh bells and lighted trees, with ornaments and burning candles, everyone has a reason to celebrate. Christmas is a time to reconcile with the past, to acknowledge all the joys found in human existence, to offer thanks or prayers for the gifts bestowed upon us, and, most of all, to show our children the splendor and excitement of living.

Growing up, nothing excited me more than Christmas morning. I listened to adults expound on the importance of giving, but how could giving possibly compare to receiving? Now that I have my own children, that question has been answered. The smile on a child’s face when opening a gift, when drinking hot cocoa or playing in the snow, when marveling at the shiny lights on houses and trees, that smile is the greatest gift in the world, and only by giving can we receive it.

So to everyone, I hope these holidays bring you and your families happiness, even when it seems impossible. I hope you discover a bit of joy yourself and allow your children to breathe with the enthusiasm and innocence we all lose so easily as we age. Nothing brightens the world like a child’s happiness, and on this, the most splendid of holidays, we each have the opportunity to discover a bit more of that happiness inside ourselves.

So to everyone, Merry Christmas. I wish you and your families the very best.