What Christmas is all about...

I feel you Christmas

I know I've found you
You never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love ~ Faith Hill

It's so true that Christmas changes, from when we are younger it is all about Santa Clause and making lists that will be fulfilled only if we have been "nice" all year. It's about stockings hung on the wall or the fireplace mantle and staying up as long as you can just to see a glimpse of the illusive "Santa". It's about making sure that you've left milk and cookies at the table as a snack - and the excitement when there are bite marks and half way full glasses of cookies leftover in the morning.

As you grow up, Christmas grows up as well, it becomes for some a holiday to remember the birth of Jesus, and for others like myself, it becomes a "season" of giving. The long Christmas lists become a item of the past and they are replaced with long shopping lists.

Someone recently told me something I felt was profound, when you stop believing in Santa Clause personally is when you become "Santa Clause" to someone else. A cycle of sorts that I thought to be very true.

Another thing I realized to be true was that its no longer about the gifts you get instead it is about the gifts you give. At (almost) 25, I am at a place in my life where I don't "want" much and any wants I do have are normally self fulfilled or too expensive to burden another with. So this holiday I asked for very little and gave much more.

There was one gift that I received though that was priceless, a gift I never put on my list but means the world to me, it was a picture. My brother and his fiancée, being of little means gave me a picture of my nephew I will treasure for a long time. The picture (see above) is of my nephew holding a hand made WWE championship wrestling belt. Its made from brown card board with a black marker for the writing, two slits in the side for the belt to go through and mostly round so as to look like the belt the wrestlers wear when they are the champ...

When I was young, 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 - me and my brother used to make the same thing. I remember taking cardboard and cutting out the "titles" for use in our downstairs wrestling matches. To now see my nephew, with a around his waist (as we used to) is an awesome sight... a blast from the past and a very meaningful gift.

That's just to tell you that even the least expensive things can be a persons most favorite Christmas gift.... thank you Bro, thank you Sis.... and Merry Christmas to all!

Troy