Christmas

   Today I want to talk about Christmas. In my family, we’ve always had certain traditions that we followed. I’ve gotten so used to them that it was just a forgone conclusion that it would always be that way. Even the best-kept traditions end, though. This year, my mother has to work on Christmas Eve night/morning. As a new nurse, there’s no way to avoid it either. Our tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve night will be gone. Our late night sweets won’t be shared at home together. She won’t be present for my grandmother’s celebration on Christmas Eve, and no gifts will be opened in the early morning. Our morning breakfast with my grandparents will turn into eggs at a time closer to lunch. It seems like it sucks. Everything is changing. Well, everything except for one fact.

   Our traditions existed for only one purpose - so we could all be together and experience the magic of Christmas. That tradition will not change this year. I’m staying up all night on December 23^rd and going to sleep in the early morning. I won’t wake up until about 3 in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. Shortly after that, my dad and I will visit my grandmother where we’ll exchange gifts and visit. Afterward, we’re going to see The Hobbit. A movie theater on Christmas Eve might not seem like a great thing, but it’s a way to enjoy our night and pass the time. After that, we’re going to head to the hospital where my mom will be working. We’ll bring treats for the nurses and be together for a brief moment as Christmas Eve turns into Christmas morning. Then we’ll go home and await the time when we can all be together again. When she comes in, we’ll exchange gifts and have a late breakfast with my grandparents where nothing will have changed except for the time. We’ll make it all work, and it won’t be because we have to. It would be easy to say Christmas is cancelled this year, but it’s not something we want to do. That’s what I’ve learned about the holidays. There are two types of people. There are those of us who love our extra time with our family and friends and enjoy the traditions that have been forged over years of relationships. Then there are those of us who dread doing the same thing every year. I’ll admit that I’ve been one of those people who dread the Christmas season. It’s usually filled with the same predictable traditions every year, and we have to act like we’re happy, even if we aren’t. Honestly, I wasn’t feeling the Christmas spirit until recently. It’s the realization of what Christmas means to me that has made me look forward to keeping the most important tradition of all alive. I’m going to be with my family this Christmas. It won’t be at the same times, and things will be drastically altered, but the people I love will be there to celebrate everything we have together.

   When I started writing this, I thought about what Christmas meant to me. I had a lot of things in mind. One was the birth of our Savior, and another involved the incredible gifts I seem to get every year, but I dug a little deeper. I should celebrate Jesus’s birth every day I can, and gifts are only as good as the person who gives them. What Christmas really means to me is time with a family that I’m not as thankful for as I should be the other 364 days of the year. It’s the one day I can take a step back and find peace in everything I have instead of wanting more. It’s strange. I think it’s the opposite for most people. After all, this holiday has become more about gift giving than anything, but it’s the one day every year where I feel like asking for anything more would be selfish. During this Christmas season, I want everyone to think about their traditions and really examine why they are so important. Is it all about the time and the place, or is it more about the people you spend it with? For me, I’m usually pretty worn down by the time Christmas rolls around. It always feels like the mental toll of what the year has brought for me has completely beaten me down, and I’m just ready for the New Year to start fresh. That one night reminds me of everything I have gained and always had. I have everything I need. No men in red suits and no candle lighting . . . just the people I love celebrating life in the way we should every single day.