What does the word Starting with C mean to you?

Christmas, the word, how does it make you feel when you first hear it? Does it make you anxious, thinking of the money you will spend on it? Does it remind you of Jesus’s birthday?

Family gatherings and lots of food? No matter what store I visit, I see trees decorated to the max. Christmas music can be heard from some stores. Bright lights, glittery reindeer, all sizes of Santas.

When I was a kid, I would get excited, like every other kid I suppose. Dreaming of what that one gift under the tree would bring that only Santa carried on his sleigh. Yes, we received a few more gifts but not many.

Christmas in our home wasn’t so much about how many gifts we received. It was the day Jesus was born. A day to go to Grandma’s house and see all of our cousins we hadn’t seen for so long. A day to eat and over eat, run inside, try our new pajamas on.

Christmas day was filled with so much pleasure. In those days I didn’t give a thought nor would I have understood what goes on for the mom’s in our lives. Stress, shopping, spending money, getting everything just right.

This year at Christmas for me, I probably won’t put a tree up. My daughter believes I should, maybe even a live one. Wow, I haven’t smelled a live pine tree inside my home for years.

I am so looking forward to spending the day with my kids and grandkids. I can’t help bring to the front, the thoughts of Al, and my parents. The grandparents that used to form such wonderful memories in my mind.

I wish over and over that some things in life didn’t have to change. There will be a large void in my life this year at Christmas. I am going to try real hard to make new memories without my life back home. I am going to count each day I awake as a new blessing I was given.

I am not going to be spending so much time in the stores shopping but instead treasure each word and each face on the day I go home to visit. I have only been gone a month, but you know me well enough to know I miss those grandkids back home and my other kids.

Mean while, I am going to lay my head back and take a ride of my new Christmas this year. No getting all psyched out and stressed over nothing that matters anyway. My kids, my family, that is what matters. Can I get an AMEN to this?