I don't want to be like Scrooge!

Today is Monday and ordinarily I would be complaining that its the beginning of a new work week and that the weekends are just not long enough to get everything done that I need to get done. But this Monday is special. It is the Monday after Brien took the SATs and although we don’t know the scores yet, there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the outcome of what those scores will be for better or for worse. It feels so good to let go of that stress. Since I’m letting go of that stress, I think its time I let go of my other stresses too. You see I’m not feeling very good about my attitude lately. I have been snarky and rude and yeah, I’ve had enough self-control to bite my tongue, like with the electric cart lady, but I’ve still committed those sins in my heart. Dane helped me to see the light, good husband that he is. I should not be spreading ill will through my blog and dragging all of you down into the depths of bad cheer with me. I should be trying to cheer and uplift. My apologies to all of you.

So I had a talk with myself, an attitude adjusting talk if you will. I started thinking about what Christmas is really all about. You all know the answer as well as I do. The problem is that I get bogged down by all the details and I forget to remember the most important thing about Christmas and giving. If you are not going to be a cheerful giver, then its better if you don’t give at all. Well, I want to be a cheerful giver and I want everyone to know that I have a strong testimony of my Lord and Savior. I love Christmas for the fact that this is the time to really focus on what his life was about. The purpose for which he was born and the miracles that he performed.

Consider Christmas! It is the most nostalgic of times. It seems we're such a homesick lot, yearning to be back in our Heavenly Father's presence. But the Christmas celebration reminds us that our “homecoming” has been assured-because the Savior was born. That's a good cause to celebrate! The gatherings and the feasts, and the music and the prose, all color the occasion uniquely. As the hearts of the children turn back to their fathers, our store of personal memories surrounding Christmas becomes precious. I come from a family that really knows how to celebrate and I am grateful for each and every memory.

Christmas should liberate us from prejudice, peevishness, and pressures. It puts us back into perspective with our religious beliefs, our family relationships, our cultural heritage, and our precious past. A simple trinket becomes priceless after repeated appearances on a Christmas tree. Those silly little popsicle stick reindeer ornaments cannot be left off the tree -if it's always been there, it goes up again and it reminds you of that amazing Christmas when your child was only 5 and in kindergarten! Such treasures are symbols of shared times in an aura of a magic and hallowed season.

Christmas is continuity to our children who are in an otherwise constant state of change in height, weight, and age. But the “constant” quality of Christmas decorations, menus, and rituals is just as important to our parents whose memories outnumber even their years. I remember one year my mother searching all over for Bubble lights to put on our tree because my Dad had good memories of those on his tree as a child. Even my teenagers who are usually demanding new places, styles, sounds, and faces, insist on an old, familiar tradition for Christmas.

Christmas is for everyone, then-the child, the childlike, and the mature. Whether you
are giving the gifts or getting them, planning a surprise or delighting in one, Christmas opens the door to deep joy.

President Harold B. Lee has said that it is what our hearts tell us that we can believe, and we will remember what we feel. That could be an important guide to Christmas celebrating this season. The most memorable family experiences at Christmas will be those that touch the heart and enrich the spirit. What a family feels together will weld them in an eternal way.

One of my favorite things to do when I need to be uplifted or have an attitude adjustment is to turn to the Church magazines and read the many wonderful articles. A simple search of the archives on the Church Web site gives me a treasure trove of wisdom to partake of. In my search this past Sunday I came across this amazing quote by President Howard W. Hunter, it perfectly sums up what the Christmas spirit should be:

"The Spirit of Christmas is a desire to sacrifice for others, to render service, and to possess a feeling of universal brotherhood. It consists of a willingness to forget what you have done for others, and to remember only what others have done for you; to ignore what the world owes you, and think only of...your duties in the middle distance and your chance to do good and aid your fellow-men in the foreground- to see that your fellow-men are just as good as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts-to close your book of grievances against the universe, and look about you for a place to sow a few seeds of happiness and go your way unobserved."

So I have found my Christmas Spirit and I have adjusted my attitude. I want to focus my energy on service and finding opportunities for my family to grow closer to each other and our Heavenly Father. May all of you find your Christmas Spirit too!