Dear Nancy Raines Day,
I look at the calendar—November 25th, exactly one month till Christmas! Yes, Christmas is my favorite holiday. But as it quickly approaches, I am reminded of the tasks that precede such a holiday.
I must hustle from store to store that overflows with clothes, toys, and flashing signs to find the perfect present. Wrapping ensues. The tape sticks to my hands as I resolve how to wrap the unusually shaped gifts made with curves, corners, and odd angles. Once shopping is complete, hunting for a tree and decorating the house to the max is a necessity. The long hours stringing lights around my house in below freezing temperatures guarantees numb hands and a cold. But the preparation doesn’t stop there. There are the long hours devoted to setting up the nativity, garland, tinsel, and the stockings that line the interior. There is all the time that I’m enslaved in the kitchen to make hundreds of Christmas cookies of all kinds for family and neighbors. As the to-do list continues on, it is hard to remember what Christmas is all about. Christmas should be, and is the most wonderful time of the year, as I cherish the memories I made and are yet to come—forever.
On Christmas Eve, my family gathers from all over the country in Nebraska to celebrate the holiday with one another. We bake more sugar cookies using the family recipe passed down through the generations as we all decorate them with assorted colors. We sled down the local hill. And at night, we travel throughout the town and neighborhoods to view extravagant displays of lights and decorations. Christmas songs are sung and stories are told as laughs are shared. Traditional movies are watched and Christmas books are read to the children. As we read Flamingo’s First Christmas, your book taught me that makes Christmas so special. Even though Flamingo’s First Christmas is a children’s book, the message is hard for some to grasp and is even sometimes never mastered by adults. Many times we lose sight as to what Christmas means, but in the end, like Flamingo found out—it is all about being with family, remembering the past, and appreciating the present.
On Christmas morning my entire family wakes up and before any presents are opened, we all go to mass. We listen to the stories of Jesus and to the priest’s homily. Above all, we listen to my grandfather as he ends mass by singing “Joy to the World” with the choir—just like Flamingo. The lyrics of “Joy to the World” help us celebrate the origin of Christmas and the birth of Christ. No amount of jingle bells and decorations, sleigh rides, or presents compares to the warmth engulfed in my heart when I am surrounded by happiness and joy shared by my family. Why? According to Flamingo, “This must be Christmas.”
This year, I can’t wait for Christmas to come, so I may curl up next the fire next to my younger cousins and share this Christmas tale once again to teach them as this story has taught me, the true meaning of Christmas.
Sincerely,
Anna