Can you believe it; Halloween as come and gone once again for another year. The ghosts and goblins have disappeared into the misty night once again, to return next year. One seasonal event leaves and another is about to burst into full bloom, the spirit of Christmas. It seems Christmas comes earlier now then when we were children.
The stores display Halloween in one aisle and Christmas in the other, kind of ironic in a way. I remember when Mom and Dad would take one day and travel to near by Grand Falls and shop for all nine of us children in one trip. Nowadays people shop all year around for, not that one perfect gift, but for many gifts. I remember the excitement of looking out the window of our home for their car to return, laden with Christmas.
One Christmas as a little boy I remember getting a plastic toolbox filled with plastic tools. I thought I had the world, it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. I was so full of the Christmas spirit I thought I would burst, the magic of Christmas ran frantically through my veins and mind. I could barely contain myself.
I wonder do the children of today burst with that same excitement and anticipation? I think they do but in a different way. For us it was that only time in the year when we would receive a gift that we would never receive if it had not been for Christmas. But today the gift receiving aspect of Christmas lasts the whole year, and therefore I believe children have lost the appreciation of that one sacred gift. I think the magic of the season hasn’t changed. Children today believe in it’s magical, unexplainable and fascination; just as much as when I was a child. I guess the magic of Christmas will never change, for without it, Christmas would loose it’s appeal and disappear like the melting of the snow.
What about for us adults? Have we lost our Christmas spirit? Do we still believe in the magic of Christmas? Is Christmas still the season of miracles? Yes, I believe Christmas sometimes can become overwhelming, stressful, sad and lonely for some, at different seasons in our lives. But I believe there’s a kid in all of us and that kid will never loose it’s Christmas spirit, magic and hope.
No matter what our circumstances this Christmas, whether sad or happy. May we always find the hope that the season brings. And when we stand in the darkness may we always find hope by looking up at that light. The light that still shines from that first Christmas star, still shines in our sky this Christmas night.