A Christmas List?
By RH
It’s that time of year when you hear adults asking children “What do you want for Christmas?” For just a second, you can see a little surprise in the eyes of the children (What!! I can make a list??!!) and suddenly they start to think of all the things they would like (The promise that I can have anything I ask for gets the greed juices running).
When I was a child, the things I wished for or needed were things I had no control over. Santa could not bring the heat we needed to keep our whole house warm, just the kitchen and dining room. Santa could not bring enough food to keep us from being hungry when we went to bed at night - meat was on our table once a week, usually on Sunday. Santa wasn’t able to bring all the supplies we needed for school. We got hand-me-down clothes and made them do for as long as possible.
Times have changed, but the real things of life have not. If children could only realize that having food, a home and family where they can learn about love, forgiveness, faith and sharing is having everything. All the electronics and toys cannot replace home, family and faith. Maybe this would be a good year to spend some time helping others, serving a meal to the needy, helping a neighbor - and do it as a family. Mom and Dad, take some time away from work to spend time with your children - that’s a great gift. When was the last time you baked cookies together? When was the last time you went walking in the woods together? You don’t have to be a child to enjoy a sled ride down a hill or an afternoon skating on a pond.