Thursday, December 22, 2016

Christmas Is A Time for Giving and Remembering



The Newsy Neighbour Magazine
December Issue #110
By Kathryn Hartwell


Remember the good old days when you would wake up Christmas morning with anticipation and excitement? You jumped out of bed, yelling down the hallway, knowing Santa had snuck in while you were fast asleep and left all those pretty presents under your sparkling Christmas tree. I remember and I do miss those days. Then, after I had children of my own, I would stay up until far after midnight on Christmas Eve, digging out all the presents I had hidden all over the house. I’d have a “Rum and Eggnog” and merrily wrap the presents and mark all of them “From Santa”! Boy, oh boy, I sure miss those days.

What is your favourite part about Christmas? Being around your family, the turkey dinner, the Christmas tree and all the lights and decorations? Or that cozy feeling you get inside only at Christmas? Or the Christmas music and parties, and “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” and much more? When you think about it, there are a lot of reasons to love this time of the year. 

But there is so much more to Christmas than all that. What about making it a time to help others? For the less fortunate, it is hard to see all the ads that display a happy family on the holiday. It magnifies just how sad they are. So, giving gifts to children in need, gift cards to orphaned teens, coats and food to families, and volunteering at soup kitchens can make all the difference!

And what about the original reason for Christmas, have we all forgotten? To me it often seems so. Like going to church Christmas morning, singing carols and celebrating the birth of Christ. It is sad how religion has changed and caused so many terrible problems in the world.

So perhaps this Christmas we should all take the time just to be thankful for all we have and not think about what we don’t have.

Peace on Earth and good will for all men and women.

Merry Christmas!

Kathryn Hartwell

No comments: