What Makes Christmases Bright?

I've had a hard time getting excited about Christmas this year. Not the Jesus part. I've always loved the season for the Nativity, the wonder of God taking on the form of man, the shepherds, angels, music. That part I look forward to.

Anything else, decorations, shopping, trees, even the cookies have lost some of their charm over the years. Am I becoming a Scrooge? A Grinch? It occurred to me that it wasn't that I don't like these holiday trappings, I just don't have small children living at home anymore. The two small children that make me smile are building their own traditions in their own home now. That's the way it should be. I can't help missing the Christmases with the boys though. They would get wound up tighter than a Christmas monkey in the weeks leading up to the Big Day. Their lists for Santa began around Halloween. We'd bake and decorate one batch of sugar cookies...that was about all the mess I could handle. We had so much fun. We had few other traditions...we'd drink eggnog and sleep under the Christmas tree the first night it was up. Each year the boys got a new ornament so that when they married, they'd have a set to start their own Christmases with. Meals were semi-traditional. One year we had steaks and one year they wanted hamburgers (that was easy!). Christmas Eve they opened one gift which was always (and is always) pajamas.

I need that excitement that only children bring to the holidays. I wrote the grandkids a letter today telling them how surprised they were going to be with the present we're giving them. They love getting mail and writing that note inspired me. Think I'll send another one or two leading up to Christmas. This is going to be a fun Christmas after all!