I Found Christmas

After almost 15 years of not being able to get into the Spirit of Christmas – and moaning and groaning about it à-la-Scrooge, I’m happy to say, with tears in my eyes, that I’ve found Christmas!

It was hiding all this time, in plain sight.  And as I sat at my kitchen table this lunch hour, eating my eggs and toast and lazily scrolling through my Facebook feed, I could not stop the tears from coming.  A family in need is always sad – but when it’s someone you know, it really hits hard.

A family who’s been in hospital for near a month, with a 16 year old daughter valiantly fighting for her life against a disease with no cure – going from hospital to hospital and being told there is no hope.  This young girl has fought with all that she has, not complaining once, and has now been taken off life-support and it’s looking promising to be home for Christmas.  But there won’t be a Christmas.

No tree – no lights – no presents…  after so much time in the hospital, there are no paychecks coming, and more bills to pay.  Impossibly high treatment costs for…well, for life it seems, as there’s no cure.

So sitting there, crying in my eggs, I decided that I want to give them Christmas.  I want to be Santa, and give them a Christmas miracle.  I’m going to need help.  I have about $160 saved up that I can spend, but for a family of  4, that’s not going to get me very far.  I want to make this a Christmas they’ll never forget – having their girl home is miracle enough, but being able to wake up on Christmas morning and celebrate the way kids are meant to – that’s priceless.

I know that true Christmas isn’t about the presents and the ribbons – it’s about family and friends and love – but it’s also about giving.  Giving of yourself, to others.  And by doing this, I am giving of myself to them.  I want to put smiles on faces, and warmth in hearts.  …and I have 12 days to pull it all off…  Wow… I guess this puts a brand new meaning to “The 12 Days of Christmas”, doesn’t it?