Christmas Eve

When I was little Christmas Eve used to be one of the most exciting days of the year. My brothers and I would lie on our stomachs in front of the Christmas tree and decide which dream gift each brightly wrapped box held and what order we would open them in on Christmas morning. As the night drew near we would begin negotiations on when we could get out of bed on Christmas morning. For some ungodly reason I remember wanting to get up around 5 but Mom and Dad didn't usually let us get up earlier than 7. Around 6:45 my brother's and I would get out of bed and open our bedroom doors in anticipation of 7am. Sometimes Tyler and Kevin would sneak to the edge of the stairs. When the clock hit the exact designated time we burst over the threshold of the hallway and run into the living room where the tree and our unwrapped gifts from Santa awaited. Mom and Dad always took entirely too long to get ready, at least from an excited child's point of view, and then they tortured us by making us listen to the Christmas story and pray before we could open our gifts. For some reason I remember the story being like an hour long even though my father would only read the second chapter of Luke. My brother Kevin is big on tradition and announced to us just this week that the bible that we have been reading the Christmas story out of for as long as I can remember just had its 20th birthday. Dad asked why he didn't let us know sooner, we would have baked a cake. I think sarcasm is also a Christmas tradition in my house.

Today my "baby" brother is 23 years old and Christmas isn't quite the same event. Our presents this year are wrapped and placed under an antique desk in our living room instead of a Christmas tree and I have yet to dig through the pile yet to identify which presents are mine. We will try to get our parents to sleep until 10, although we will probably lose this negotiation and drag ourselves out of bed around 8. I'll want a cup of coffee before I touch one gift and the Christmas story will pass quickly. However, Christmas is still special for me because it is a time to relax and enjoy my family. While my perception of Christmas has changed dramatically it is still of my favorite times of year. I am thankful that I have such fond memories of Christmas and that there were always gifts under the tree and a special breakfast to enjoy. It is a time to be thankful for our family and friends and for the gift that ultimately inspired this whole season. It is also a time to remember those who aren't as fortunate as ourselves. I've had a good life and a good year and I truely hope that daily I give more than I get. So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope it's everything you dreamed it would be. (no sarcasm intended :))