Christmas in a BIG way!

Boy, have I been busy trying to get ready for Christmas! I know you have been too, but I just have a hard time getting my head around my heart. It must have something to do with my childhood because my feelings run so deep. I want magic! I want perfection! I want to give big so everyone will love me, because I love them so…

Wow, I guess that’s what God wanted on that first Christmas. How can I use that first Christmas as my guideline and stop all this worry that I might fail? How can I give the perfect gift to my children, as God did for His? Aha - maybe the secret is giving everyone the same thing, you know, one size fits all. Then everybody’s idea of the perfect gift would have to be the same. That’s a problem. It doesn’t fit. What’s magical and perfect for me, might not be for everyone else. How did God get around that one?

...I think I’ve got it! He gave us what He treasured and wanted us to have, and it was so good that the night turned into glorious and great love happened.

That’s what I’ll do. I’ll just let my love pour out (again) and see what happens. Come to think of it, except the years I lost loved ones, I have always thought each Christmas the best ever and the gifts weren't the deciding factor!

Have you ever gotten (or given) a gift that was over the top in thoughtfulness, kindness or love? Something that you knew was a little more special than other years? A gift, whether it cost money or time, that you remember with a smile because of the gift behind the gift?

Will you join me in sharing those with each other? Email me (with a picture if possible) and tell me about a gift that stands out in your memory and I will post them from now until Christmas on Chatterbox…I’ll start!

I'm sure I will be thinking of many between now and Christmas. Now that my thoughts are headed in that direction, many gifts are coming to mind - everything from the shawl Natali knitted for me, to the key holder Andrew gave me so I could hook my keys on the side of my purse and be able to find them. I can remember mostly the sweet faces of joy when a child gave me something that they were proud to give. Oh, how touching that memory is, even if I don't recall, right off the bat, what the gift was. Let's see...there was the mink coat...but I won't go there...then there was...

Rabbie! Kate brought Rabbie home from school all wrapped up in hand made Christmas wrapping. She was in her beginning years of elementary school and I thought she was so brilliant for making such an intricate statue. Rabbie still holds a place of honor in the curio secretary in the living room, right next to the infamous "horse pot."

Kimberly reminded me the other day of the time and painstaking care taken by my nephew Chad when, for a few years in a row, he drew our names for Mother's family tree giving. He designed and carved us each a hand mirror, sanded it carefully, stained and varnished it, and burned our initials in the handle. What a special gift.

I thought I had opened the wrong package on Christmas morning a few years back. It was a gift from Shannon. Then I read the inscription:

"A dose of inspiration for the creative

person ready to tackle new adventures

from an Old Master.

Sometimes the teacher who appeared in

our youth still has a message for us."

It wasn't until I read the book that I cried. It was Shannon's way of encouraging me to explore my talent. He saw me. He saw what I didn't!

Oh, gosh, there are so many!!!

But I will leave it with your memories in hopes you will share them with us and bring the magic into the season. Even if you are too busy to write something down, that's okay, I know you are thinking about it! :)

<- Christmas drawing from Keegan that is right up there with Emily's frog painting she gave me last year, and Morgan's jeweled box. ->

Picture book, photos, charms that reminds me of you...so many more!!! But the best gifts of all have been the present of your presence. You have honored me by returning my gift of love.

P.S. The gifts I have most enjoyed giving are my paintings, no matter how good or bad they were, they were a gift of the heart and thoughts of the receiver were in each stroke. My New Year's Resolution is to paint more!