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Time to Deck the Halls!

Looking back on my thoughts about Christmas as a child, it's so funny to see how my outlook has changed. When I was little, I wouldn't be able to get to sleep at night because I was so excited about the gifts I would be receiving the next morning. What will my parents get me? What will my grandparents get me? Most importantly - what will Santa get me?! It was all about the magic of receiving gifts.

Nowadays, Christmas is still all about the magic, but the intangible magic. The satisfaction you get from finding or making the most fitting, perfect present for a loved one; and happiness you feel when you see them open that gift; the quality time you get to spend with friends and family members you haven't seen in a while, and the general warm, cozy feeling that the holiday gives you.

You start to see the value in giving, rather than receiving. In high school, my friends and I used to always do a Secret Santa gift exchange, and spend about $30 or so on one another. The past three years, instead of a gift exchange, we've donated money and gifts to families in need during the Christmas holiday. This experience has been astronomically more valuable than our Secret Santa's in the past... How much do you really need a new phone case anyways? Or a new pair of pajama bottoms? However, a mother in need could really use a couple new toys to give her son and daughter for Christmas. If you live in Hamilton, and feel that you want to make a difference or donation for those in need, take a look at some of these links:

https://mission-services.com/about-our-work/christmas-care/
https://www.goodshepherdcentres.ca/christmas-programs
https://www.hamilton.ca/social-services/support-programs/christmas-registry


This holiday season, I am grateful for the time I get to spend with people I love and their enormous generosity. For the brunch I enjoy with my family every Christmas morning, with bacon, eggs, and pancakes. For the Christmas dinner, when everyone eats too much, and ends up slouched over in the living room, telling funny stories about my grandmother. This year, I'm not hoping for the physical kind of present. This year, all I want is my family and loved one's presence during the holidays. That's what Christmas is really all about.

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