Every year at Christmas I want to read A Christmas Carol but never actually get around to doing it. So this year I am going to do it. I started reading it last night and here is an excerpt from the book below. I really like the way the nephew in the story explains Christmas.
"Nephew!" returned the uncle, sternly, "keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."
"Keep it!" repeated Scrooge's nephew. "But you don't keep it."
"Let me leave it alone, then," said Scrooge. "Much good may it do you! Much good it has ever done you!"
"There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say," returned the nephew. "Christmas among the rest. But I am sure I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round -- apart from the veneration due to its sacred name and origin, if anything belonging to it can be apart from that -- as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys. And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!"
It makes sense that a holidays that celebrates the birth of Christ who was perfect in love, would be a holiday that is full of love, joy, peace, and beauty. No wonder we get that warm fuzzy feeling around Christmas time. It really is the one time of year that people seem to slow down and focus on family and reflect on their lives and "open their shut-ups hearts freely". Hopefully it can be a feeling that carries people throughout the year and can keep the peace and joy in their hearts.
A few of my favorite memories off the top of my head (because I have tons)...
- An obvious one is dancing around to the Charlie Brown Christmas CD while decorating the tree. I remember one year in particular, we were decorating the tree and mom was baking cookies and we were watching Christmas shoes on TV. The was an exceptionally magical year.
- One of my very favorite memories. I'm not sure why but this is one of my most magical memories. Me, dad, and Britt went to get a tree from the YMCA. Not sure why we went there but we did. Tiff you were home sick. I remember it was dark out and the snow was falling heavily and Britt and I walked around the aisles of trees pretending we were in an enchanted forest. When we got home the house was all clean and the lights were dim and there was a Christmas candle burning. I was in an exceptionally Christmasy mood so I went into my room and created my own winter wonderland. I'm not sure if you guys remember that or not, but I used to just go nuts with decorations in my room. I used to LOVE doing that. Then I would have the family walk into my Christmas world and "ooo" and "ahhh" all the work I did. For some reason the night really stands out in my mind.
I have lots more but that's just a start :)
-S
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