Christmas 2011

Christmas is a great tradition in our family. I remember the Christmas eve meal with all the family members who could be there gathered at our family home. At some point the living room was locked and my dad would wait for Santa to come. The doorbell rang and he was here. My dad helped him bring the gifts into the house. We had glass doors that led into the living room but you could not see clearly through them because they were colored and wavy so you could only see shadows and a little color.

When all the gifts were in place and Santa had said his good-byes my dad would open the door so we could all see inside. We then opened the gifts from anyone who was not at the celebration and a telephone call was originated to them. It was no easy task in those days to make a long distance call. We often had to wait until the call went through and the operator would call us back. It was exciting when the phone rang and my sister was on the line and everyone took their turn to talk.

Traditions are carried forward and changed as families grow. It is so easy to call today. You never have to wait because the circuits are busy. The traditions of family must be carried forward and cherished. They may have to be changed or amended to fit with the needs of the family but they just have to be carried on.

Everyone has been receiving emails, blog posts, and little cutesy things from everyone about the Christmas or Hanukkah celebration. I wonder if we have any of us really look at what this is all about. We seem to be stuck on ourselves and what it means to us. No matter what tradition each of us holds in our hearts, we must begin to realize that the birth of the Christ Child speaks to each of us about what we should be doing for our fellow man. We must see God in each and every person that we come into contact with, no matter what their race, color, sex or anything else about them. We are all brothers in our Lord and He in us.

Merry Christmas