From Bah, Humbug to Bah-lessed (Blessed)

"There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child." ~Erma Bombeck, "I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression."

Everyone knows "those people." Perhaps you, yourself, are one of "those people." In this particular case, "those people" refers to the individuals who are innately born with Christmas spirit. It isn't uncommon for them to start listening to Christmas music around the first of November, and their heart fills with joy at the thought of getting all 350 ornaments down from the attic.

My roommates dubbed me Ebenezer Scrooge this year because the thought of setting up a Christmas tree seemed more like an item on a dreaded "to-do" list than a joyous occasion that should make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Nevertheless, I pressed on, gritted my teeth and hung ornaments on our dwarfed tree. Call me The Grinch, but I kind of found it humorous when my roommate expected a full-sized tree and put it together only to find that it reached mid-kneecap. See? I have Christmas spirit; it's just a little different than most people's.

When taking an honest look at why my Christmas spirit isn't up to par, I think I have found the reason. Ashton, the arch nemesis of change and everything that comes along with it, hasn't quite come to grips with the loss of childhood wonder and the effect it has on the magical aspect of the holidays.

I miss staying up late with my cousin Hannah, both of our American Girl dolls tucked in next to us with matching nightgowns. I miss waking up early and seeing the newest toys under the tree — and watching as our parents humorously tried to put together everything from dollhouses to train sets. The years bring with them many changes; sickness, work, time constraints, marriage and other factors play their role in molding our lives. When you are a child, time seems to stand still and your parents, grandparents and other family members seem to stay the same. You wake up one day to find that, as you have gotten older, they, too, have endured the elements that time brings. And perhaps that is the hardest part of losing that magic; knowing that the people you previously viewed as invincible are, in all actuality, only human — prone to sickness and hardship.

Christmas may not carry with it a childhood magic, but it is our job to find ways to bless others and realize the extent of what God has given us. What used to be butterflies and a ridiculous amount of hyperactivity has now transformed into a time of reflection for me. I used to beg to be excused from the dinner table, but now I long for people to stay at the table, and I soak up that fellowship. Instead of presents, I value each moment I get to visit with Hannah. We may have lost the matching nightgowns, but we haven't lost our love and appreciation for each other through the years. Though I may have lost my "sleepover buddy" to good 'ol marriage (haha), I still treasure the times we get to catch up — perhaps even more than when we were kids.

The holidays, like everything else in life, are going to evolve in coming years. Whether you have sick loved ones or children getting married, traditions are going to have to give, and patience will need to be enabled. If you have an open mind and a loving heart, you just might find some new traditions and blessings you never saw coming. I pray that I have the strength to face the coming years with grace and not harbor resentment and fear. I pray for you the same.

Remember, friends, that we all have magic inside of us. We just have to tap into that joy that comes with knowing what all we have been given — instead of focusing on what has been taken away. All my love, Ashton