Focus on family this Christmas

This time of year has always been incredibly magical for me. It’s not just Christmas that makes me feel this way, as it is also the month of my birthday, as well as, the month my first child was born. Even if you were to take away all of those momentous occasions, there is still something about this time of year that just mystifies me.

It starts off with the ba-zillions of individual snowflakes falling from the sky, twinkling and glistening with their unique happiness despite the cold temperatures that accompany them. Who can be a grinch when so many happy faces are scattered from the tips of your boots to the tops of the tallest evergreen trees? This time of year we often find ourselves bundled in layers of wintery clothing, bracing ourselves against the bitter freezing temperatures and biting winds. Who will disagree, that after being in such weather, warming up with cup of hot chocolate and a fresh baked cookie will take all your irritations away.?What sorts of similar self-indulgence is available to us in the summertime when the weather is perfect?

It’s just not as accepting to bake a batch of cookies and share the entire pan with your kiddos before they even have a chance to cool off in the summertime. Now, on a zero degree Saturday in December, it’s not just acceptable, it’s a reasonable and desirable activity!

Which brings me to my next thought, family. When is it as acceptable to focus on the needs of not just others but your own family so much as we do this time of year? Sure, family is always in our hearts and minds, but this time of year we spend a bit extra considering what our family and friends might actually want, like, need or enjoy to make their lives happier. Why don’t we do that more throughout the year? I’ve no idea, but I wish we did.

So go out and spend a ridiculous amount on cookie-making ingredients, gather your children, parents, family and friends and bake some cookies together, eat the cookies when they are hot and gooey, fresh from the oven (being careful that no one gets burned, of course), and enjoy the company of your loved ones, who truly are the greatest gift of all.

Merry Christmas!