It seems like people have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas and the Christmas spirit isn't about what other people should give you but about the birth of Christ and how you can serve other people. Toys, technology, and other gadgets will break, become old, and eventually, be forgotten about. If one maintains the Christmas spirit, that attitude, the memories, and feelings will never be forgotten.
As a kid, I know we didn't have a lot, but our needs we always met. We always had food, clothes, shelter, and plenty of toys. We always got spoiled on Christmas. My fondest memories of Christmas time was time spent as a family when we helped those who needed it more than we did. I remember adopting families, dropping of gifts (trying not to be seen), ringing the doorbell, and running. Or dropping off the gifts, dashing home, and then calling the family in a disguised voice and saying, "Check your front door." I was fortunate to have parents that would sacrifice so those who had less than us could have their needs met. Those are my best Christmas memories.
Just the other day, Doug said that it didn't feel like Christmas because we did hadn't helped out as much as we had in the past. Since then, we've made a conscious effort to help out as much as we can. We also want to teach our kids the true meaning of Christmas. Children truly do have a Christlike attitude. This is evident when Madi says that she wants to invite all of the homeless people in the park to our house for dinner. Today we explained to her that she gets to go to the store to pick out a gift for a little girl who doesn't have very many toys. She is excited, but more importantly, she is learning about service. Service doesn't require money, especially for those who are struggling themselves. It can be as simple as going caroling, sending a card, or baking some treats. After all, it is better to give than to receive.
