The holidays are always such a magical time for children. There’s the lights, the sounds, the enthusiasm. Kids all over the world are celebrating many different holidays around this time of year. In our house, we are getting ready for Christmas this weekend. The presents are wrapped, the tree is lit up, and the kids absolutely cannot stand the fact they still have a few days left before they can open presents.
I remember when I was a kid and the excitement that the holidays brought. I would sneak out of my room early in the morning to take a peek at what Santa had left me. Then, of course, there was the night I did just that to find my parents sleeping on the living room floor, waiting for my early morning arrival. There were also Christmas parties, caroling, church activities, and riding around to see the lights all over town and at the zoo. It was true magic at the time.
Growing up, I never would have known if we were rich or poor. To this day, I really can’t answer that question. But then again, it never mattered in the first place. My parents made sure that we knew that the holidays were not about the gifts we wanted or the gifts we got. In fact, it wasn’t about the gifts at all. We were always reminded of why we had these holidays, their meanings to us, and what the true spirit was all about. Gifts are nice, anytime of year, but there is a bigger focus to be looked upon during these holidays.
In an age of instant gratification and material excess, it becomes ever more important that we teach our children about the true spirit of the holiday season. Religion doesn’t matter, tradition doesn’t matter, and the gifts don’t matter. This is a time to be reminded to think about our fellow humans. It is a time to remember that we all have wishes, we all have dreams, and we all have that hope that life still holds magic, and is still ours to grab by the horns.
This holiday season, it is my hope that we will draw just as much attention to these facts as we do making sure they get what they want. It is my hope that our children will exit this holiday season with a sense of others. The world does not have enough compassion, enough love, enough hope. Remember the hopes and dreams you had as a kid? Somewhere, we have lost sight of the joy and the peace these hops and dreams bring. But it was never just us. This holiday season, teach your kids that it is never just us. There is a whole world of people with hopes and dreams. There is a whole world that desperately needs compassion, love, and less self. Let’s fill this world with these things starting by filling ourselves with a senseless heart, and passing on the sense of others to our children.
