Today was a social time - great food, random conversation in a lovely, very Christmassy setting.
So how much is too much to give your kids? How do you answer questions about why other kids get bigger and better gifts? What do you tell your kids about Santa? What do you do about all the things they want/need just before Christmas? These are all questions that parents have to deal with at one time or another. But it is interesting that our discussion centred on the Gift giving part of Christmas.
The other day some of us had chatted about the service part of Christmas. They had traditions of "giving back" at Christmas time - serving a meal or distributing gifts or in some other way helping those less fortunate. Is this a part of your Christmas?
What we didn't talk about was what Christmas means to us - or about worship. Christmas is an interesting time - some people love it and feel all warm and fuzzy when they think about the Christmas season. Some people are rather neutral about it. Some people find it a very difficult time.
This year will be my first Christmas since my Dad died. Several of my friends have also lost parents - some just this past week or two. There is something about losing a parent that dulls the beauty of the story of new birth - that makes it harder to accept the hope, joy, and peace of the advent season. I hope and pray that, while we may feel sadness during this season, we may also feel hope - the hope of a new child, the hope of fulfilled promises, the hope of a loving God who is taking care of us and our loved ones.
Have a blessed and meaningful Christmas, everyone!
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