Janice Crow

December Reflections

I miss coloring. Yes, you heard me. I miss sitting down cross-legged in the floor with a box of crayons and a big, fat Christmas coloring book. Why don’t adults color anymore? I also miss my scooter. I always had to push off with my left foot because it never felt quite right from the other side. I miss my Barbie and the tiny clothes my sister, Darlene, painstakingly hand-stitched for her. I miss my Color-Forms™ doll. (This generation doesn’t even know what that is. It’s sort of a “paper” doll. The clothes were vinyl and stuck to the waxed cardboard “doll” by static electricity).

I miss a lot of things about Christmas. I miss the scent of a real pine tree. I miss the big chunky Christmas lights and the glittery “Merry Christmas” banner that used to swing in the cold winter air in our little river town. I miss the night-before-Christmas smells – the aroma of bread toasting in the oven and the scent of simmering celery, giblets and sage for mom’s stuffing. I miss the pink divinity mom used to make and the pumpkin bread she baked in a coffee can.

I miss my brothers and sisters living in the same house with me and all the commotion that Christmas morning brings, and I miss the board games we played for hours after Christmas dinner – laughing and talking and just enjoying each other’s company.

It seems a lot of things are missing nowadays when it comes to Christmas – not the least of which is Christ. I couldn’t help but shudder the other day when I passed a church whose marquis proudly read, “Come Join Our Xmas Celebration”. You can even buy so-called Christmas cards now that read, “Merry Xmas”. It’s as though this world knows it should be commemorating something, but can’t quite figure out what it is.

I think the real answer is that not many people want to commit to saying it - Christ. They fear referring to Christ as though their belief in Him would somehow connect them with the same sorts who stand gazing upward on their lawn, hoping to be taken up by aliens. So they leave Him out and in His place they put an “X”. They have just removed the only truly meaningful element of the entire season.

What does “X” mean anyway? Well, maybe these days it stands for X-tremely X-hausting, or X-orbitant prices – all the things Christmas has become. We shop till we drop, max out the credit cards, and have no earthly idea what the whole day is about. We decorate four Christmas trees, say yes to every party, and schedule nearly every second of the season. There’s no time for games or relaxing with family, no time for fun Christmas crafts or baking with the kids. Even making Christmas cookies has been X-changed for a quick stop at the bakery.

This year I am determined to make Christmas what it ought to be. I plan to shop wisely, decorate moderately, relax and watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” ten times if I want to. But most of all I plan to take the time to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas and be thankful for God’s greatest gift to us – Jesus Christ.

Oh, and yes, I plan to color.

Merry CHRISTmas!!

Janice Crow