What Does Christmas Mean to You?

People celebrate Christmas for different reasons. To some Christmas is the time of year where you put up Christmas decorations, throw parties, shop for gifts right up to the last day. And to others though they may do some of that, it carries a different meaning, a time when the birth of a child is born who is the Savior of the world.

When I was doing the Christmas decorations, throwing parties, shop till you drop, to satisfy everyone on my list it was no longer fun. I started to wonder. I would be so excited about shopping for others but when the day comes, it was just one of many gifts received and it just didn’t seem to be a big deal anymore.

I wanted something more but I didn’t know what.. Quite frankly, I remember feeling depressed right after all of the presents were opened, given, and received, thinking, “This sucks. All of the hustle and bustle, long lines, trying to find the perfect gifts for those on my list and before that big moment was over I felt depressed. Christmas as I knew it and celebrated it no longer had the same affect.”

In my quest to make it more, I decided one year to collect gifts for needy children, less fortunate. Only to discover that they had their heart set on something more expensive that mama couldn’t afford and they really, in most instances, were not excited about your wanting to fill their need, just to show love, if it wasn’t Xbox 360, or some other type expensive toy.  I felt good about doing something meaningful to someone else at Christmas.

One year I decided to allow my children to pick what they wanted and we would give it to a needy child. That didn’t go over well. Some years we would make a tree using the branches thrown away when people buy trees. One year we made Christmas gifts for each other rather than buying something. They enjoyed that and so did I. Christmas is a great time to teach children powerful lessons in giving to others, rather than receiving.

The years we stopped participating in the commercial frenzy and made Christmas gifts for each other were the some of the most memorable times we shared. Those home made gifts still take the spotlight when we reminisce of Christmas in the past.

It’s not too late to make this year an experience that will last forever (click here).