Christmas time

One more week until Christmas Eve! I love Christmas for a number of reasons, but obviously I try to concentrate on the real meaning of Christmas. I have tried to remind Sallie Rose about what Christmas truly is for us. It is hard when you explain it and yet she still concentrates on how many gifts Santa will bring. I think having her participate in the church's Christmas pageant, attending Christmas Eve service, giving generous Christmas help to those less fortunate and thanking God in our prayers for the birth of Jesus will help. I can only hope.

Every year, I used to go home to Spearman for a week or so and I would take my Grandma Rosa Lee to look at the Christmas lights around town. It was something the two of us usually did alone. Then , she would send me in to get the remaining angels off the "tree" and go buy presents for all of them. She was the most generous person I have ever encountered. She didn't like the thought of a child not having something at Christmas to open. Then, most of our family would go to the Church and have communion on Christmas Eve. It was the most amazing part of my Christmas. Now that she is gone, I find myself sad about not having those traditions. Everyone is in different towns and have families of their own and in laws they have to spend time with. I miss her most of all. I think of her everyday, but I think about her even more at Christmas.

I put out her Santa figurines and try to do for others as she would do; however, I don't come close to doing what all she did. I take my family to look at the lights in town and think about how much she would love them. How can one woman make such an impact on a person's life? She was a devout Christian and she lived her life like one. It's hard for me to imagine that I could ever leave as much as an impact on someone's heart as she has mine. I hope that I will. I hope that I will not only love my own children/grandchildren, family and friends as much as she did, but also glorify God as I am doing it.

I would give anything to hear her voice again or give her a hug and kiss. I am so grateful to have loved her so much that is hurts. I pray for the families in Connecticut as they mourn the loss of their babies' lives that they can find hope in the Christmas season and the true meaning of Christmas, the promise that their babies are in an eternal life with Jesus and without pain.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Look at that poor baby! I promise she didn't cry except the last second when the lady snapped the photo.