Christmas is magical. Whether it’s your earliest childhood memory of performing in your first Christmas play, or hearing the story of the birth of Christ, or waking up early to see what Santa brought, or celebrating your first Christmas as a married couple, or watching your first child or grandchild experience Christmas, there is something magical about the holiday.  But sometimes, the magic gets lost and it becomes just another holiday; an expense, a time when shattered families are forced together, a time when the memory of a loved one that has passed is all too fresh and Christmas is not so magical anymore.  Faith Hill sings a song in the movie “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”.  The song is titled “Where Are You Christmas?”, and it’s about losing the magic but then finding it in yourself again.  Because, you see, some things are out of our control, but no matter what life has given us, it’s up to us to decide how we are going to handle it.  If our attitudes include anger and bitterness, then our lives come to reflect them as well. 

One of my favorite lines in the song is: “My world is changing, I’m rearranging, does that mean Christmas changes, too?” Our world may not be as it once was, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate life and believe in magic.  It means sometimes, we have to change the way we do things, make new traditions and memories, and yes, it might mean that Christmas changes, but it doesn’t mean that it can no longer be magical.  “If there is love in your heart and your mind, it will feel like Christmas all the time”.  Believe in the magic of life.  Believe in yourself and your power to make life magical all year long.  Merry Christmas and God bless us, every one!