Christmas is meant to be a time of rejoicing. It is a time for us to reflect. A time to share and especially love.
That doesn’t always happen.
Sadly, it is also a time of sorrow for many people. While we feel like the celebration and the gatherings should be joyful, it is often strained, at best.
There was a time when our Christmas Eve included my dad Jim Bowden reading “The Christmas Story.” Then he shared his own childhood story of poverty and even, at times, hunger. But he was joyful when he shared that his struggles as a child led him to know that he was not alone. He knew that Christmas wasn’t about presents and Santa. He learned that Christmas was about a boy child in a manager. He knew, until the day of his death, that no matter what crisis he faced, that baby boy was at his side. He was his strength when he didn’t think he had any left.
None of us are perfect. No one will have a flawless Christmas, no matter what preparations we try to make.
We need only remember we are not alone, and we are always loved. ■
