Significance of the Holidays

I think those of us with kids believe that the holidays is extra-special with little ones around. They make you appreciate life and what it means to be alive. You experience the joy of the little things alongside them as they discover snow for the first time or the excitement of the Christmas tree. Thanksgiving is extra meaningful as you are most grateful for your family—the one thing that never changes in this fleeting world.

You can lose your home, cars, toys, or any other material good but your family is always there. It gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning, a reason to go to work every day, and a reason to come home every night. Children make you realize that you are not the only person in the world. You are truly needed and loved for who you are despite all of your shortcomings or idiosyncrasies.

No matter what opinion you have of yourself or others have of you, children see your heart. They look past everything society deems is important and allow you to remember what life and the holiday season is all about: helping others, giving of your heart, and loving unconditionally.

Children are God’s best gift. They bring out the best in us and show us what we were like when we were that cute. We are reminded of what is really important in life when we look into their eyes and all of our other concerns vanish like the whispering wind when you fall asleep. We forget about how much money is in our bank account, what our co-worker said about us, or what our boss thinks about us. We ignore how much weight we may have gained or what color to dye our hair this year.

To remember how blessed we truly are, all we have to do is try to imagine how empty our lives would be without our kids. The lights on the tree would shine a little less bright and the wrapping on the presents would be a little duller. Our house would be quieter but we would miss the sounds of giggling little girls and the sonorous babblings of babies.

The holidays are a time when most of us take a break from the hum-drum of our daily lives, reflect on the past year, plan for the forthcoming year, and express gratitude for our blessings. We remember our reason for living and give thanks. We also strive to be a better person than we were the past year. We make resolutions to give more, lose weight, stop gossiping, or any other number of changes we wish to make.

Despite all that we imagine our life to be or everything that we believe is wrong with our lives, kids will bring you back to the present moment with a simple, “Mommy, look at what I can do!” as they tie their shoes for the first time or stand on their heads. You smile and think, “This is what life is all about.” You give your kids a hug and kiss and at that moment, you don’t want to be anywhere else or doing anything else.

Life and this moment are magical and who could ask for more?