T.A.L.K.: Spreading Good Cheer.

Pine tree's, bursts of cinnamon fill my nose, shining ornaments hung on the tree. I look around and am submerged in forest green and cherry red colors. What a beautiful time of the year! To some it is just another hallmark celebration to get us to spend all of our money and go into debt. Or to get
trapped in the mounds of white powder and celebrate with snow days. But to others it may be a time to come closer to our families, our religion, to Christ, to friends and celebrate a new year.

This time of year has always been so dear to me for many reasons. The Christmas spirit that surrounds everyone, there is literally excitement through the air. What a great way to celebrate finishing finals with a relaxing holiday. How perfect is the timing for Christmas anyway? To have a big celebration to end the year off and lead into another. Or how perfect is it, to be able to bask in the time to give and to serve others in need. Growing up, my mom and I loved making treats for people. We would always pick 5-6 families who we would deliver treats too and pick out our favorite treats, as a way to say thanks and "Merry Christmas".

Throughout my youth my family wasn't by any means one of the "rich families" where we got I-pods, UGG boots, and the newest things. I remember we'd come back to school after the holidays and all my friends had backpacks full of new stuff. Or brand new sparkling cars. I'm not going to lie I was kind of a brat about it. I never got why everyone else got so much stuff. But what I remember most was my mom always tried really hard to make it nice for us all though we couldn't get a lot. I know she always tried to get us one thing we wanted. I remember our puffed paint stockings with all our names on them, no not hung from the chimney we didn't have but on a wooden post in our house. I remember when I got to high school I got to be the one to put up all the white lights streamed with garlands, the tree and ornaments while we listened to christmas music.

My mom bought us these Firbies that are our little joke!

And as I have stepped away from that life I once knew, I realize now how grateful I am for it. It truly taught me to find the real meaning of Christmas. Its not about who has the best biggest green tree, the lavish decorations, or the presents. It's about so much more. I honestly don't even remember the presents I got for Christmas now, but what I do remember is how I felt at this special time of the year. How hard my mom tried for us to have a nice Christmas and so little she got in return. I have realized now how beautiful Christmas really is when we forget about ourselves and give something to someone else. I don't think it's coincidence that The New year is all about us and what goals we are going to accomplish and the end of the year is more about what are we going to do for someone else and after all the mistakes we may have made throughout the year we can be re cleansed to celebrate the beautiful birth of Christ. And prepare ourselves for a new year. Or bask in the Christmas spirit and choose to do something for someone else.

Anyway I love Christmas. This year Cam wasn't sure if we should get a tree since we will be spending Christmas with his family and not in our sweet humble apartment. We truly were just going to decorate with paper snowflakes and my budget of 8.49$ from the dollar tree (it was going to be 10$ but I ran into one of my friends and got out of the decorating mode). But after much convincing, we bought a Christmas tree. Yes, it's not real or huge with lavish decor but it is so sweet. It's sweet because its our first Christmas and we're in college and it's the best we can do for us.

And let me tell you, spending time putting all this together...I was almost in tears while we listened to Christmas songs because we got to reminisce about our memories of Christmas and the things we want to do together.

Through all of this find out what Christmas means to you. Take time to yourself and remember the sweet memories of your youth or throughout your life of your Christmas memories. Share them with us! Share them with your loved ones. Start planning to surprise a family you know in need. Let the Christmas spirit fill your soul with the sweet happiness that comes at this beautiful time of the year.