Family traditions. Food and baked goods. Faith and Jesus Christ.
My favorite family tradition involves me giving gifts to my loved ones. Because I am a college student, they know not to expect very much, as my finances are all being “donated” to my education fund. I have a low budget, so I really try to hone in on one or two special gifts that I am pretty sure they will love. I listen all year for things they say they would like, point out in a store, or tell me directly what they would enjoy for a present. So, I get these presents around November before Black Friday (because I work in retail and despise everything about that day) and hide them in my closet until the tree is up and I can wrap them (and place them beneath the tree “just so”).
Fast forward to Christmas morning with my family. I notice there are presents for me, but I’m more interested in what my family has to open and how excited I am to see them smile when they rip through the wrapping paper. This year I bought my momma new sheets to match the new paint and curtains in her bedroom, my dad will have some new flannels, and my brother can feel classy using a new electric shaving kit.
After we open gifts, my family moves on to brunch. Typically, the spread includes pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I’m always sure to get fruit for a little something healthy (even though I’m the only one who eats it).
One of my most treasured traditions is that a week or so before Christmas, two of my good friends and I get together and bake sugar cookies and decorate our hearts out. This year we added in white chocolate and milk chocolate covered pretzels, which were the most delicious things I’ve had in a while! Needless to say, as soon as I got my share home, they were gone the next day (welcome to having a teenaged brother)!
Before I eat, I say a quick prayer, especially on the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth! One of my family members has a cute wooden block that reads “Jesus is the reason for the season” and I could not agree more.
When I think about Jesus’ mother, Mary, I just imagine how terrified she must have felt while in that stable. I mean, can you imagine giving birth to God’s son in a stable surrounded by animals because there was no room for you literally anywhere else? She must have had such strong faith and love for God, which is amazing and admirable. A stable!
I thank God every single day for my family and friends, for the food I eat and for my home. So many people are away from loved ones this season, don’t have enough to eat, and don’t have a warm bed to crawl into. God has blessed me in so many ways, and I’m so thankful to be able to celebrate his only son on this day!
Wildflower Reflections 