I believe in magic, do you? I may not believe that Santa visits all the homes in the world in one night anymore (some studies say it would actually take Santa and his elves 6 months to properly visit each house with no time-warping involved), but I know that there’s still a special magic in the air during this time of year and surrounding the celebrations of Christmas too. You see it in the face of every child who gets excited when they find the elf in the morning or talks about what happens at the North Pole, as they stare in wonder at the tall trees brightly lit, and even in their excitement in wanting to buy presents to give to their family (to supplement Santa’s gifts of course).
One of my favorite Santa-adjacent traditions at Christmas is buying gifts for service members and families in need. It warms your heart to be able to bring just a bit of joy to their lives in ways that they wouldn’t have otherwise, even if (especially if?) they don’t know who you are. Because it’s not something you do to be recognized, you do it to fulfill a Christmas wish and spread a little Christmas cheer.
This Christmas as I’ve been adding Christmas cheer wherever I can in my life and going through my usual Christmas activities plus a few that aren’t so Christmassy, I’ve been reflecting on people who have been part of my Christmases over the years, including people who I won’t see this Christmas or people who have passed on. It never ceases to amaze me which memories pop up and what pulls those memories from the depths of our minds, and it’s been a very special experience to be remembering these moments that I haven’t thought about in years and helps ease the sadness of missing those people at this time of year and wishing they were here to celebrate again with us.
While I know that Santa (or God) won’t deliver all of our Christmas wishes under the tree or into our lives on this Christmas, I won’t stop wishing for things, dreaming big dreams, embracing the creative and magical, and believing in miracles. If you’ve been feeling a little more like the Grinch this year than Santa, I remind you of how his story ends: his heart grows 3 sizes when he understands the true meaning of Christmas, but only because he chose to check on the villagers and see if they were as miserable as he thought they would be (they weren’t). Whether you find that magic and meaning under the tree, in a church pew, singing carols at the senior center or gathered around the table with family and friends, remember that it’s there if you’re willing to look for it. What are you wishing for or discovering this Christmas?