As Christmas approaches my paychecks are nearly spent, I spend my days searching for the elusive gifts that each of my children wants for Christmas. Of course I don’t want to be called Scrooge, so I search and search for each and every gift. My kids have written on their lists. However, I wonder as I walk through the door of another toy store, have I forgotten why we are celebrating? I mean, isn’t this season supposed to be full of happiness and joy? Every year I hear that the suicide rate has risen along with depression. The day after Thanksgiving, even one person was trampled to death. Do any of us know why we celebrate Christmas?
As I sit here and write this article, I know why I want to celebrate. I want to celebrate the birth of Christ my Lord. They asked me why I wanted to celebrate his birth once, when it should have been his death that we celebrate. The man who had asked me said, it is through his death that we were saved. Yes, that’s correct because he died on the cross for you and me, but I only have one question. If he had not been born, could he have died for our sins?
I guess I have more questions than that. As I write, I think of all the lives of the people that he touched and saved while he was here on earth, he was a role model for many, how we could not celebrate his birth and his life here on earth along with his death. “God sent his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him may not be parochial, but may have eternal life.” I think many of us have forgotten what we actually celebrate Christmas for, and it is much more commercialized than this or any other holiday should be, but I also believe that it should be celebrated in conjunction with his death and rebirth in heaven. Because it was through his life that we learned the true meaning of unconditional love. We learned through his birth, life and death, that death is not the end, it is only the beginning.
For me, after writing this article, I know that I will worry less about looking for those elusive gifts and more about the time I spend with my children, starting today. On Christmas Eve I think I will start a new tradition, I will teach my children the true meaning of Christmas and their story will be told so that they do not forget like many of us. I also believe that I will work to find new ways to share your joy, love and kindness for my fellow man during the new year. After all, that’s what life is all about, not a new toy that is put aside in a week. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas to you all and to all of you a great year!