What has a hold on you?

It's that time of year when (along with all the gifts under the tree) we tend to get all wrapped up. Consumed by what we need want (steam washers and new clothes and the perfect tree and flatscreen tvs and the most beautiful decorations for our house and the cute holiday outfits for our kids and the list goes on and on and on). It's so easy to do....no matter how hard we try to contain ourselves.

And I am guilty. I confess that I am the world's worst when it comes to this attitude. I want and want and want some more. The sales and the shopping frenzy and the hustle and bustle get a hold of me and I am overcome (don't worry Chris, if you are reading this. I have NOT done anything crazy). I have friends whose kids have lists a mile long....who live for the biggest and best on Christmas morning. I was that way.....I remember revising my list over and over till I got it just right. It's something I have struggled with my whole life.

Why then, have I been blessed with such unassuming children? Sure, they have an idea of what they would like to find under the tree come Christmas morning, but I know they will love whatever they get. They've never asked me, "Is that all?" and they genuinely appreciate the gifts they receive. Sure, they have hopes and desires, but I know that if we could only get them a couple of very small gifts, they would still say they had a magical Christmas. They've always been pretty grounded like that.....I sure hope it lasts.

You see, my children are way more thrilled by the antics of their silly little elf than they are by how many gifts they will get from Santa. They could care less if our Christmas card is picture perfect or if the decorations will impress the neighbors.....they just want to drive around and look for lit up manger scenes and inflatable Grinches. My kids want to buy gifts for a little child who won't get anything for Christmas and hang ornaments on our tree.

They want to sip hot chocolate with extra marshmallows and a peppermint stick stirrer and sleep in for a couple of weeks. They want to tear off the paper rings and count down the days till their stockings are filled with chocolate. They want me to sit and tell them the story of the night Jesus was born (again and again and again) by acting it out with their little toy nativity scene. They want to bake cookies and visit family and watch Christmas movies in their pajamas. Hoping for Christmas Carolers to knock on our door.

Isn't all that the good stuff? The things that we remember loving about the holiday season? I remember singing Christmas songs in church and cookie swaps and live Nativity scenes and the taste of the Christmas turkey. I remember waking up before sunrise and leaving cookies for Santa. I remember the smell of the holiday candles and praying for snow to fall on Christmas eve. Curling up in one cozy bed with my sisters and our animals....

I couldn't tell you what I unwrapped on my 9th Christmas or who all gave me presents when I was 5. Most of it was quickly forgotten or broken or taken for granted. Only a few things were treasures that stood the test of time.....and most of those weren't really expensive gifts. They were things that meant something.

So, you wanna know what I want most this year? I want the spirit of Christmas that has a hold on my children.....that really stirs my soul. What about you?