Each year, just after Christmas so many of us say, “next year is going to be different.” Yet, we rush from this circular to this sale from this store to this site, all in the name of spreading holiday joy. Joy? I think we can agree that getting a coveted item at Christmas is pretty darn awesome, but I think the word “joy” should be reserved for that which brings lasting happiness.
Not a Christmas goes by that I don’t think about my grandma’s Christmas cookies. Each year she would fill a large potato chip can with them. Yes, chips used to come in tin cans. Though she’s gone, the buttery deliciousness of her cookies still makes my mouth water. When I think of her I remember the smell of her kitchen, the occasional splash of something on the apron she always wore and her hands. Her hands were shiny, wrinkled and a bit crooked, but were able to create a treat that melted in your mouth. That is the joy of Christmas I received from my grandmother. There isn’t a single store-bought gift that can compete with that simple fond childhood memory.
So, as I contemplate how I intend to do things differently next Christmas, I’ll leave you with these iconic words…
“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. Maybe Christmas, he thought…doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps… means a little bit more!”
Merry Christmas!
Tags: Christmas, Grinch, Pennsylvania, Where and When, cookies, gifts, grandma, joy, real meaning of Christmas