Something About Christmas Time

It's that time again of the year when people seem to be always happy and feel generous.  It is a time when people are giving and forgiving.  A time when people feel like singing to their heart's content and smiling even at strangers. It is amazing that people even feel guilty when they're not being nice and no one cannot seem to manage not to be because it is almost like a crime if you aren't during this season.

I can even recall an incident when a friend of mine got so upset with  a bank teller that she wanted to talk to the manager and get him fired but because Christmas is coming up, she decided not to and just let it go. This is what the spirit of Christmas brings--it's powerful and it's magical.

 One thing I noticed though is that some people seem to automatically revert back to their "not-so-nice" selves after the holiday season is over. Smiles are hardly given and are instead replaced with either blank expression on their face or even a frowning one. I am not sure if people are just in denial about their problems during the holidays or Christmas just brings out the best in everyone. If it's the latter, I could only wish that everyday is Christmas so the world we live in is a better place. Unfortunately, that would only remain a wish. I am just grateful that we have this season each year to enjoy the spirit of Christmas which is the spirit of love.

Lately, I have been thinking about how I'm going to celebrate it this year and whether it's going to be different from the previous Christmases I had  without presents from family and not even a greeting card.  It saddened me at the beginning but I have gotten used to it. It doesn't look like it's going to change this year but I can change my attitude towards it because in reality, it is about celebrating the birth of my Savior Jesus Christ and not about me and definitely not about getting presents.

He should be the one receiving presents. Presents that cannot be bought from the store but can be acquired by following His teachings.  When I think of  the kind of presents I can give Him, I think of the beatitudes that He pronounced during the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5:3-5). The beatitudes of being meek, being compassionate, being humble, being pure in heart, being a peacemaker, being a seeker of righteousness and being a true disciple of Christ.

I certainly am not better than others and it maybe remotely possible to be like Him because I am an imperfect soul  but I can try to be like Him.  I can try to reflect the life He lived and the kind of character He had.  I just have to take it one day at a time, a step at a time. I believe it is the best gift I can give not only to my Savior but to myself as well.  A gift that does not cost money  but the most rewarding one.  And if that is the case, I should be able to afford to give this gift all the time and it will be like celebrating Christmas all year round.



"Let us gather Christlike attributes throughout the year and offer them to our Savior on the day of His birth as our gift to Him.'-Dinah-