The Spirit of Christmas

December is hours away. My favorite time of the year is about to begin.

When I was a child, Christmas was magical. We had white Christmases in Michigan where my grandparents lived, and we would sled in the front yard. I wanted to believe in Santa because the thought of him was so wonderful, but my practicality kicked in, and I thought, But how can he go to every house in one night?  And presents! I would make them, and I loved opening them, of course. One year, my mom had us make soap in the shapes of angels that we wrapped up for extended family members.

As I got older, Christmas got tainted. It marked hopes unfulfilled, because I didn’t make a gingerbread house that year or I didn’t wrap my gifts early enough to have them under the tree. The ticking of the clock got louder in December as I felt like I was running out of time. And depression couldn’t keep herself out of it. Her hands always left blue streaks on pretty gold paper, and she added sprinkled sadness into my cups of merriment until the taste wasn’t so sweet anymore.

Was I too old for the magic? Did I have to wait until I had kids for it to be exciting again? I didn’t have bad Christmases – they just didn’t glisten.

Shouldn’t Christmas glisten? Shouldn’t there be reverence in the air, like when snow falls at night and the silence is so thick and full it’s like insulation between walls?

A few years ago, everything changed. It started in a Christmas Eve service, and year after year, for lack of a better term, it began to snowball.

I started to catch the wonder again. The Spirit of Christmas began to whisper gently in my ears. A line from a carol would stand out. I’d see something in an old movie that would make my head tilt in thought. A passing phrase would come alive, as if I’d never heard it before.

What’s beautiful about Christmas now is the spirit of it. It’s not about the traditions by themselves; it’s about the symbolism of them, the meaning behind them. The melodies of the carols carry messages to those willing to open them. Unwrapping presents remind us that we can unveil gifts every day.

Now, Christmas is more wonderful than it has ever been. This is absolutely my favorite time of year. I’ll be sharing about how I caught the wonder of it all again, how Christmas is a like a living presence now and not a hectic close to a whirlwind year. Perhaps you’d like Christmas to glisten again. If so, please join me.