I've always loved Christmas. As much as other people try to underwhelm it's affect or argue for other holiday's being better, there is really no holiday, in my mind, that presents the overall "feel," and atmosphere that Christmas does over the course of the extended Advent and Christmas seasons. People that don't like the season, I understand, have usually had some unfortunate experiences that take away its joy such as the loss of a loved one, strained family relationships or perhaps just a bad family situation growing up which didn't provide the "magic," the Christmas season brings. I also feel that understanding and celebrating the original meanings behind Christmas (including the Advent season leading up to it), which our family does, can enhance the joy and experience, but I'll leave that to each family to determine.
But what made this year special was not my own enthusiasm for the holiday, but my children's. My son is five and my daughter almost four and while last year they began to grasp the idea of the season, they weren't nearly as understanding and expressive of it as they became this year. My son, in particular, just really grasped on to it this year, stating repeatedly how exciting and wonderful everything was. Even my daughter, came into our room the morning before, exclaiming "Merry Christmas!" as she'd seen a majority of the presents appear under the tree. She was exciting, but also a little confused as to why it wasn't Christmas yet, even though the presents were there.
This really brought a new element to Christmas as the growing enthusiasm of my children's joy enhanced my own and my wife's. I said to my parents on the phone on Christmas Day how neat it was to begen to see the joy and excitement in your kids at this time of year, and they shared in my sentiment of how special that was for them with me "back then," and now again with their grandkids.
So, Merry Christmas, and my the childlike joy and exhuberence the season brings always exist within you!!
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