Searching for the Meaning of Christmas
I am sitting here early in the morning, in the middle of December nearing the end of my 30's looking at the glow of my beautifully decorated Christmas tree and sipping hot chocolate from a Christmas-themed mug with the scent of a flickering "winter apple crisp" candle lingering in the air. I am struggling to figure out what, if anything, this treasured holiday means to me after nearly four decades. Most people will tell you that Christmas is about celebrating and the birth of Jesus Christ. Others will say it is about families visiting and spending time together. Children will insist that Christmas is about waking up and finding that Santa has come down the chimney to deliver the latest toys and gadgets. And there are escalating numbers of cynics who will declare emphatically that Christmas is just a giant, commercialized pain in the ass. This morning my nostalgic thoughts are forcing me to review the Christmases of my life to find where I stand amongst the diverse f...