Christmas - A Year to Remember

Growing up, Christmas was always a special time of year. I remember year after year of getting the Christmas decorations down from the attic after Thanksgiving dinner (and a nap) and putting them up. I remember picking out a Christmas tree and decorating it. I remember the Christmas musicals at church and the Christmas plays. I remember weeks of advent and weeks of the Christmas story in Sunday School. I remember our annual Christmas baking. I remember delivering Christmas cookies to the neighbors every year. I remember getting dressed up for the Christmas Eve and going to the candlelight service. I remember going home and going straight to bed so "Santa" could come (even though I knew he wasn't real, it was still fun to pretend). I remember when we were old enough to stay up a little bit later on Christmas Eve and when we started doing a huge Christmas Eve dinner. I remember pounding on my parents door at 5:59 yelling "It's time to come out! It's almost 6:00!" I remember getting up at the crack of dawn to open our stockings and presents. I remember our family's traditional Christmas breakfast. I remember Gramma coming over to open presents with us in the morning. I remember the moments where I quietly drifted into an afternoon nap after tearing off all the wrapping paper. I remember getting ready to go to Grandpa and Grandma's for Christmas with the cousins and aunts and uncles. I remember Christmas dinner. I remember the year I got to move from the "kid table" to the "adult table." I remember the year when I felt joy in giving others Christmas presents rather than just being excited to receive them. I remember the year I realized how important my family was and how thankful I was to be spending this holiday with them. I remember the year I realized what Christmas was really about.

Each year, the meaning of Christmas becomes deeper and deeper to me. This year was by far the most special Christmas I have ever celebrated.

This Christmas was the first Christmas I have not had a "Christmas break." For the past 16 years, I have been designated time off from school and all other activities so I could spend Christmas with my family. Not this year. While I am working for Simpson and I was able to get a 3 week break, I am also working at a diner. Of course when I was hired, I eagerly agreed to let the manager schedule me on Thanksgiving and Christmas (because I wanted the job, but not realizing how hard it was for me to spend those holidays at work instead of with my family). As Christmas approached, I became more and more sad that I wouldn't be at home with my family to spend time with them. When I found out that my brother was coming from Alaska to spend Christmas with the family (which he didn't think he would be able to do), I was even more sad. But I was also determined to get some time to spend with him and the family!

Long story short, my schedule worked out where I was able to have a few days off, then work a shift, then have a few more days off, then work another shift. In 2 weeks, I only spent 2 nights at my own apartment 2 hours from my family's home. Some days I would drive back to Redding for my shift, work for 5 hours, and then drive 2 hours back to my parents. Was it crazy? Maybe a little. But it was SO worth it! I was scheduled on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, which was a real bummer. I missed our annual Christmas Eve party and dinner at my house. Because I was working right in the middle of the day on Christmas, I thought I was also going to miss Christmas with my family.

I was wrong.

My family was so caring that they postponed Christmas for a day. On December 25th, they proceeded with their day just like it was any other day of the year. On December 26th, we celebrated Christmas just like it was the 25th: we got up early, we opened presents, we ate our Christmas breakfast, we took our annual post-Christmas-presents-naps, and we had our Christmas dinner. My brother was there. My family was there. My heart was there.

I remember the moment when I was sitting looking at my family thinking just how special they were and how thankful I was that we could all be at the table together for another wonderful Christmas. I was thankful that we all were able to celebrate the birth of our Savior together and were able to gather around the table in love.

I am beyond blessed by the people I get to call my family. I am incredibly thankful that they are mine. I am also incredibly thankful that we can share life together, forever!