What makes Christmas special

Have you ever thought back to when you were little and remembered what made Christmas truly special for you?

As a kid I didn’t notice all the things that made Christmas so special.

Now, as an adult and parent, I see what made Christmas such a special time. It was all the little things my mother did at Christmas time.

My mom put so much effort into Christmas, to make sure my brothers and I had an amazing holiday. From handmade stockings, stuffed full of goodies to a beautifully decorated Christmas tree.

One of the very special things my mother always does, that I never appreciated until I was older, is her delicately wrapped Christmas presents. Every year she spends hours wrapping gifts for her family, with ribbons and special keepsakes ornaments.

I, on the other hand, am not that patient. I throw that wrapping paper on or put them in gift bags. But there is something so special about the way my mom puts so much love into her wrapping, you almost feel ashamed to tear it open.

My mom also spends days making homemade candy for all her friends and family. Now I have joined in on that tradition and make sure all my neighbors, friends and family can enjoy the candy recipes my mom started many many years ago.

It’s funny how we rush through Christmas. We rush to wrap presents, we buy things instead of making them and we make it stressful.

I asked my mom what special memory she had from Christmas when she was little. She told me about how my granny would take hours delicately placing icicles on her Christmas tree. To me that is a special memory, her mother was taking the time to make the tree beautiful for her family.

So, I think we all should take more time to really make Christmas special. It’s not always about how much money you spend, but how much thought and time you spend to make it the best.

My mom truly made Christmas special and still does. Hopefully I can make Christmas as special for my kids as she did for me.

Dedicated to my mom Janice Webb, thank you for always making Christmas great!!