I talked to a young man at church after the Christmas Eve service. He said he felt like he was in between the magic. When he was a kid, Christmas morning was magical. The wonder and excitement of all the presents, and the food, and the lights. When he gets older he’ll have the wonder of experiencing the magic again through his kids. Right now, he’s in between.
I can relate to that, and I think I’ve gone through a number of phases of Christmas magic. When I was a kid I loved the anticipation of running down the stairs and barreling into a room filled with gifts from Santa. During my senior year of high school, I had my first job, and I bought gifts for others. I remember being so excited to see the reactions when my brothers opened their presents from me. Then that feeling was enhanced when I had my own kids and got to experience Christmas through their eyes. Surprising them and getting them gifts was exciting and fulfilling. Now that they are getting older even getting gifts for others has become secondary to the simple act of spending time with each other.
We made a LIFE board game for Christmas morning. We included squares that covered all the events of the year, and pictures to go along with them. We covered everything from Jaron getting engaged, to Ava getting scholarships, to Davin getting his learner’s permit. Playing through that board game is what made Lianne and I excited about Christmas morning. Sure, we got them some neat gifts, but remembering those experiences was what we enjoyed most.
I also love hanging out with family. It is so fulfilling to spend time at the Pearsall’s and then at the Stevenson’s, eating and hanging out over the holidays. We can catch up with each other, support each other, share stories, and laugh. I view the gift exchange as just a mechanism to get us together. The gift giving is fun, but it is only a footnote when compared to the relationships.
