The Spirit of the Season

What is the Spirit of Christmas all about? I believe the answer to that question is different for each of us. A lot of the "spirit" of Christmas comes from our past experiences during the holiday season. I love to hear other people tell me about the different traditions and experiences they have had as children and what they do now as adults.

For me, Christmas is a tangled web of emotion. As a child I grew up with 3 brothers, 1 sister, and 63 cousins in rural Iowa. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meant getting together with my family, aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. It was a whirlwind of wrapping paper, turkey, laughter, and an occasional prank gift. My mom was the centerpiece of our Christmas tradition. As the mother of five children she had her hands full between buying and wrapping gifts (cleverly keeping them hid from us snoopy kids), milking cows every day, and taking care of the babies. Mom loved every minute of it. We were a practical family. We always received a couple of our wish list toys but the rest of the gifts under the tree were things like hooded sweatshirts, coveralls, appliances, and other basic items. My Mom beamed with joy when the "whole" family was together and she could love on us all. And as kids we relished in Mom's glow.

That all changed 12 years ago. On October 14^, 1998 my mom was killed in a sudden accident at age 51. Mom and Dad were building their dream home on an acreage overlooking the family farm. Dad was on the tractor and Mom was in front of the tractor shoveling gravel. The brakes of the tractor failed, slowly, and before my Dad had a chance to react my Mom had been squished. Mom had a pot roast in the oven that day. She never expected that she wouldn't be home to serve it for lunch.

Christmas that year was very sad for my family. We missed Mom so much and we wondered why God could let such a tragic thing happen to "our" family. Over the years I have prayed about this and I have come to realize that everything happens for a reason. We still miss Mom, always, but as a result of her death everyone in my family has grown closer to God and has come to realize the true meaning of Christmas. Because it really is not about the parties, gifts, and food. It's about telling those around you how much you love and appreciate them. I learned two very valuable lessons when my mom, Mary, died. One, I am thankful and give praise to God that there is a place for my mom in heaven. Because she deserves only the best. And two, I will never, ever take those I love for granted and I will give thanks every day for the blessings they are in my life.

So as you open your presents, eat the Christmas goodies, and enjoy time with your family and friends. Don't forgive to give thanks to God for his blessings and tell those you love how much they mean to you. And that is the purpose of this Christmas letter. To tell you how much I love you for who you are and what you have to offer this world! You are unique and God has given you talents that only you possess. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your leader. It is truly an honor for me to be surrounded by such greatness!

Enjoy the spirit of this magical season.