It was the Christmas when…

…my parents pretended our Christmas presents were heavy when they were actually really light.

…I burst into tears while singing “Go Tell It on the Mountain” during the children’s Christmas program at church.

…the cat used the presents under the tree as a litterbox.

…my parents told me they were getting a divorce.

…no decorations went up at my house.

…I spent the day in the hospital after giving birth to my son on Christmas Eve.

…my son kept saying, “Just what I always wanted” after opening each Christmas present.

…we spent the week in Virginia on vacation.

…we spent the week in St. Maarten on vacation.

…we found out we’d be adopting a nine-year-old boy.

Some good memories. Some great memories. Some bad memories. Some really bad memories. I’m not sure I even remember them all exactly as they happened, but I know that they all contributed to making me who I am today.

Celebrate Anew

Ultimately, Christmas is a time for remembering. It’s a time for being glad and sad at the same time. After all, nothing will ever be like it was. We can and should look back occasionally. After all, we can remember and learn from the past. Yet, we must choose to look forward.

The first Christmas was more remarkable than any before or since, but Christ’s second coming gives us reason to celebrate Christmas anew every year. Look toward creating new memories and shaping the future you and look toward the second coming while joyously celebrating the first.