Top Reasons why I Love Christmas
Twinkling lights, hot cocoa, pretty wrapped gifts, stacks of tamales, champurado, Christmas trees, snuggling, warm fuzzy socks and loud get-togethers with family & friends. Just some of the many reasons why I love Christmas. I know it has been over a year since I’ve blogged, I apologize; I just might be the biggest procrastinator you’ve known. But, there is so much I want to share from married life and life in the city for a small town girl… highs and lows and some crazy experiences tucked in here and there that might help someone out there in this blogging world. This time of year just makes me so thankful and reflective of past holidays….
Piles and piles of gifts; huge stacks of wrapped boxes surrounded me on the living room floor. I believe I was around 8 years old. Ricky, my little brother, crawled around the floor as the gifts were stacked all around us. My mom was on her knees with tears rolling down her face as we ripped open each gift. My dad smiled as he laid on a hospital bed tucked in the corner of our apartment living room. I remember the wrapping was different on each gift.
I thought to myself Wow! My mom must have spent a lot of money to buy so many gifts! I didn’t know it at the time, but this was financially one of the toughest times for my familia. This is my only memory of our poorest Christmas. My father was put on disability due to a back injury he suffered at work. Working two jobs, my mom miraculously kept food in our tummies and a roof over our head.
The gifts came from my mom’s coworkers, they all gathered gifts together for us; which I did not know until years later. I just thought my mom had a lot of money working 2 jobs. Complete strangers that probably thought they were doing something nice for the holidays, did not know how much hope they were instilling in my mother, and the memories they allowed Ricky and I to have as young kids.
I thought to myself Wow! My mom must have spent a lot of money to buy so many gifts! I didn’t know it at the time, but this was financially one of the toughest times for my familia. This is my only memory of our poorest Christmas. My father was put on disability due to a back injury he suffered at work. Working two jobs, my mom miraculously kept food in our tummies and a roof over our head.
The gifts came from my mom’s coworkers, they all gathered gifts together for us; which I did not know until years later. I just thought my mom had a lot of money working 2 jobs. Complete strangers that probably thought they were doing something nice for the holidays, did not know how much hope they were instilling in my mother, and the memories they allowed Ricky and I to have as young kids.
The magic of Christmas is much more real when I stop and remember the one created such a good life for me. It gives me chills to think that a prince would be born in a stable… with stinky animals… have you ever driven on I-5 to Los Angeles and passing towns like Coalinga? Imagine stinks like that welcoming our savior on the day of his birth?
“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us… Wonderful Counselor,
I love this time of the year because we celebrate his birth. I’ve
done my best to keep my list short (very tough!)
Top reasons why I love Christmas.
1) Prince of Peace: Being a grown up,
learning how to pay my rent and bills… has been, for lack of better words,
Challenging. Throw in some health issues and medical bills in there, it’s
enough to get my heart racing. But I am so thankful that God sent his son to be
the Prince of Peace for me. He didn’t just promise us peace, his word says his
son is the Prince of Peace. I’ve had inexplicable Peace, because I know he
holds my world. Sometimes trusting is way easier said than done…. But when I
actually trust, oh man it feels good to not carry the load on my own. Christmas
we are reminded of why we have peace; he came to this earth so we would not have
to carry the load on our own.
2) Family: My grandpa, who is now in heaven,
used to dress up as Santa and bring us gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve.
My mom, drives us around town to look for the best Christmas light displays. Wrapping up gifts from my family’s wish list. Having tamale eating contests. My husband reading "The Night Before Christmas". Watching my nieces and nephew rip open their gifts squealing. Getting together to enjoy a meal and playing loteria or poker; no matter how many times we fought that year, or how many times we said “I hate you”. I don’t care how cliché it is, Family is really everything we have.
My mom, drives us around town to look for the best Christmas light displays. Wrapping up gifts from my family’s wish list. Having tamale eating contests. My husband reading "The Night Before Christmas". Watching my nieces and nephew rip open their gifts squealing. Getting together to enjoy a meal and playing loteria or poker; no matter how many times we fought that year, or how many times we said “I hate you”. I don’t care how cliché it is, Family is really everything we have.
3) Time to stop: Christmas forces us to stop and think of others. I don’t care who you are, when I hear that a child
might not have even one gift to open on Christmas day, that tears me up inside.
I love hearing stories, just like mine, of people helping other people. It
gives me hope that the world is a good place, despite the current news of
terrorism and wars.
Honestly I love Christmas time for so many reasons. Although I
love gift giving and receiving gifts, Christmas is much more in the words of
Dr. Seuss…
One of my goals for 2016 year is to write more often…. And be
intentional about it; until then
Why do you love the Holidays? What are you thankful for? Is there
anyone out there that loves fuzzy socks as much as I do?
