My Christmas...

  When I was a little girl Christmas had a certain meaning, taste and feel. Snow and cold were usually there. A family party, Christmas shopping, turkey dinner, Christmas Eve Church service, and even Subway, all meant that Christmas was coming. I always knew what Christmas was really about, and loved singing Christmas carols. The mixed smell of pie and pine tree, or a yummy candle were always around as well. I never believed in Santa, but I saw him all around every year. And if there was enough snow, sledding was the best thing to do before or after or on Christmas day...especially since I didn't have to do school! I have fond memories of my childhood Christmases. They're special, they're a treasure. I remember being in a Christmas play one year when I was six or seven and how much fun I had. Pizza Hut for dinner before picking out a tree was something I loved...it meant I could have pop!

  There are lots of good memories in there...but this year I find myself comparing. The taste and feel are so different now. When someone says Christmas, the first thing that pops into my head is not snow or presents. It's not even a tree. I see great mounds of ripe, sweet tangerine's, and piles of sugar cane. Piñata's, the rush to finish up the Christmas play preparation, and lots of good hot punch are what come to mind. Turkey dinner, and the tree, are still there. But I have forgotten snow...if it were to snow here everyone would freeze...it would be awful! The cold winter frosted mornings and nights are enough around here. I don't dream of a white Christmas. I envision a bright, clear day with just enough chill in it to need a long sleeved shirt or a sweater. I see stall upon stall downtown filled with sparklers and "onions", and hear the grating music of Christmas lights. I see huge manger scenes in restaurants, on the street, or in the Catholic Church. And I see my Church. I see its stage. And I remember my very first Christmas I ever spent here. All of it. I can see year after year, and play after play acted out on that stage, but the first one...the first one is the dearest and the clearest.

  God has given me so much. And while I remember the biggest gift He gave me this year the same as the others...I remember everything else He's given me since then. I was given a toilet plunger as a joke one year (please don't ask why). Needless to say I didn't love that present. But as strange as it sounds, I'm thankful this year for all the toilet plungers that God has given me, in other words, all the presents I didn't want or enjoy, but needed. I've used that one many times, and it's been a great help. And so have all the others. We can ask for what we want, but it won't necessarily be what we need. Thankfully, God loves us. He puts us where we are for a reason. He lets things happen to us for a reason. Thankfully, He hasn't given me everything I've wanted, but much more than that. He's given me gifts that I didn't want or even like, because He knew I'd need them later on. And thankfully He continues to do so.

Merry Christmas everyone! Love you all!

~Ellen