Christmas

As I sit here alone in a hotel room, I find myself once again contemplating the reason why we celebrate the holidays.

The easy answer is that we celebrate it in honor of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. However, it is most highly unlikely that we celebrate his birth anywhere near the right day of the year. Don't get me wrong, I still celebrate it and love it for that reason. But I can't help but think it is something... more, that celebrating his birth is the starting point at this time of the year.

I was just contemplating this season and a sudden revelation struck me. I really don't care about getting even a single present under the tree. I mean, let's face it, we all have our lists of things we would like to receive and such, but this year I would much rather walk in on Christmas morning and watch the surprise and happiness light up the faces of my family rather than anything else. I know it's because of this semester and how incredibly blessed I've been with everywhere I've been and the things that I have seen, but all I want is to be home for Christmas, and I absolutely can't wait.

So, may all of you have a happy Christmas (as they say here in Britain), and remember the reason for the season. Celebrate our Lord's birth joyously and treasure every moment with your family and friends. After all, it isn't the season to be first, but to put yourself last. <3