Merry Christmas

Christmas has never been the same for me since the day my youngest brother Kyle found out that Santa Claus wasn't real. Leslie and I had known for awhile at that point, but it was still exciting to hide the presents and to wake up on Christmas morning to see that all the gifts had "magically" appeared under the tree. When I was little, I could barely get to sleep on Christmas Eve because the anticipation was so intense. Although I still love Christmas, I sometimes miss the magical feeling of the holiday. I look forward to the day I can recreate that magic with my own kids. :)

For my family, holidays have become a lot more low-key, and I'm fine with that. It seems kind of pointless now to take out tons of Christmas decorations or buy candy canes that no one eats anyway. It's easier and less stressful to keep it simple. We're all together for only a short time during the holidays, so it's nice to be at home and just relax. This Christmas was nice because my dad actually had the day off! (He's a doctor, so this is rare). We had a great day opening presents, playing board games, and eating dinner as a family.

While tradition is important, I'm glad my family's flexible. Christmas has grown up with us, and while it's not the magical event it once was, the way we celebrate now is charming in its own way. I hope all of my friends have had a wonderful Christmas too, and no matter how each of us celebrated today, I hope we all took time to remember the real reason for the season. The magic is still there, when you think about it. Merry Christmas, everyone!