Me: "Lucy, what do you want for Christmas?"
Lucy:
"A unicorn!"
M:
"Do you want a big one or a little one?"
L:
"A big one! I wants to ride up by Santa! I gonna make a BIG rainbow!!"
The chaos of Christmas quickly gets forgotten about when you're sitting around the Christmas tree, sharing gifts with each other as an expression of your love for them. The joy I receive when watching my children open that beloved Buzz Lightyear gift or prancing around with her new ponies is overwhelming. But most of all, I love just all being together. I love watching Lucy run up to her Great-Grandma and attack her with a big hug and kiss with a jubilant "I love you!". I love all sitting around, singing carols to the guitar, each harmonizing in their own way. I love playing Apples to Apples together, defending and pleading our cards and having a good laugh.
Christmas is so much more than the amount of gifts we receive, or the big extravagant meals.
It's about love. It's about service. It's about family.
And although much of Christmas is made possible because of the huge amount of stress we put on ourselves by running around, making sure things are perfect, having a gift for everyone, and making sure there are meals for those hungry mouths... it is all so worth it! Even for those few moments of everyone being in one place, where we can hug (or slug) each other. We get to pray together, laugh, cry, and sing together.
Christmas is magical. My favorite time of year.
