The Magic of Christmas

As a child I believed, whole-heartedly, in Santa Claus and the work he was said to do come December. I wasn't very old when one Christmas Eve I spotted my dad checking in on my sister and me hoping we had finally nodded off for the night. Unsure of what was really going on I watched him sneak into the living room where our Christmas tree was lit and our stockings were "hung with care." As I got older it seemed the magic of Christmas faded with each passing year. Then came Jay.

Jay's first Christmas came when she was 10 months old and although there was no need to hype up the big man, the holiday was special again. It was new and the magic reappeared a bit. With each year she was a little older and the magic I thought was gone because I was no longer a kid was real again. Over time she understood Santa's job more and she was so excited about whatever he would bring while she slept...then came Nas.

Because Jay has such a grasp on what it is Santa will do at Christmas time, Nas has a better understanding of it. Probably more so than Jay did at 3, only because Jay explains each little nuance of Christmas Eve to Nas in a way he can fully understand. If the holiday magic seemed more real with Jay around, it's tangible because of Nas. Jay is so much like her daddy that it really takes a lot to get her excited...a lot. Last year I was thrilled to have Santa bring the double doll stroller she begged for and when she saw it all I got was, "Cool, a double stroller!" Blah.

Nas? Oh that kid gets so excited you see the sheer joy in his little brown face. It's that joy and glee parents live for! His personality makes gift-giving a lot of fun, imagine my excitement for Christmas morning!!?? I just might wake them up!

Today, Christmas Eve, I took the kids to McDonald's to eat and play just to get them out of the house and to let the Santa anxiety die down for a minute. They played so well together that I remembered just why I wanted two kids...for moments like the one at McD's and for the Christmas magic.

Christmas is made possible by God's love for us, but the magic comes flooding back when you have kids. Christmas is a chance to remember Jesus and His work on this earth, it seems He came as a baby and today the babies in all of our lives make the holiday special, even magical, year after year.