My Favorite Christmas Memories

 

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year, in fact it is my favorite time of year! For me when I think of Christmas, my thoughts are immediately filled with all of the sights and sounds of Christmas that I’ve experienced over the years! I think my favorite thoughts of Christmas are in remembering the joy, excitement and awe in the faces of each one of my five children when they were young! From the oh’s and awes of driving around looking at Christmas lights to the excitement in their faces when they see their stockings filled to overflowing with Christmas goodies! I remember many a Christmas being woken up in the wee hours of the morning by an anxious child asking if they could go downstairs and see what Santa Claus left them! It seemed like my sweet hubby and I had just barely gone to bed when they have come creeping in to ask that most important question, is it time?

I still have one child that believes in that special gift giver, Mr. Claus. For the last few years I’ve told myself that this will be the last year that she believes. Then the next year she hands me an envelope and asks me if we can mail it to Santa because her list is in it and I think, oh good, one more year of that innocent belief! Oh yes, part of me thinks it would be easier if she didn’t believe, but then the other part of me isn’t yet willing or wanting her to give up that childish belief in that jolly old elf. I wish that we never had to let go of all those childhood dreams of sugar plums, elves, candy land, the North Pole, reindeer that fly and a Santa busily filling stockings all over the world!

A big part of Christmas for me is the joy in innocent young faces as they see the sights and sounds that are Christmas. So, for me watching children believe whether it be my own or my grandchildren or any child is what makes up my favorite Christmas memories. Christmas is a belief that the world and it’s people are wonderful, magical and above all kind and loving.