Christmas memories are different now that my kids are all grown and out on their own.
We put up a fancy live tree during their growing up years. We had dozens of ornaments and decorations for the house. The kids loved helping with the tree and arranging the nativity scene. But we never did the Santa Claus thing. I know many of you will think I deprived my children.
Before you judge me, please read on …
I’ll never forget the year my youngest, who was around six at the time, was with me in line at the store. A nice gal in front of us in line asked my daughter what Santa Claus was bringing her for Christmas. She just shyly smiled and did not reply. When we left the store and started putting our groceries in the car, she looked at me with a quizzical look and said: “Mommy, who is Santa Claus?”
Our idea was to emphasize the meaning of Christmas as a time to show our love for Jesus and generosity towards others. I wanted to represent the importance of giving and sharing where we could. Of course, there were always gifts under the tree for each of the kids on Christmas morning. We would tell them that Jesus/God/Spirit provided the money for us to buy them special gifts. The explanation seemed to satisfy them. But more important was to teach them about giving for the sake of blessing others.
Now they have kids of their own
Now that they are grown, I don’t know what they have told their children about Santa Claus. But I am pleasantly surprised to see that my youngest daughter (the one in the story above) is teaching her 8-year-old son some of the same lessons we taught her: Christmas is a time for giving to each other.
Although they don’t have much, they donate what they can. My grandson, Dante, sorts out his outgrown clothes to give to charity or the “poor people,” as he calls them. Her son also donates some of his toys — the ones he no longer wants. I see their notifications listed on the local online Facebook “Pay It Forward” group where my daughter is actively supporting others where she can.
Some days, it brings tears to my eyes to see that the lessons I passed on to my daughter are now passed down to my grandson.
I still believe that giving is the spirit behind Christmas. And those are the best Christmas memories of all!