The True Meaning of Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Ours was pretty nice - with my family all coming together on Christmas Eve, and most of us again on Christmas Day. I've been feeling bummed out about how I griped in the weeks before Christmas about how I thought I was never going to get my shopping done & how I was totally not in the Christmas spirit, especially after learning about the tragic fire that took the life of the son of one of Frank's friends - http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=55143 .

I felt so selfish for griping about such petty things, while in the blink of an eye - this family not only lost just about all their possessions, but also lost one of their precious 15 year old sons. It was simply heartbreaking to visit the scene of the housefire - to see the burned remains of the house with the remants of bed frames, a mattress in the yard & charred clothing hanging from the team and to realize that just 12 hours earlier, this young man lost his life just 2 days before Christmas. After talking to Frank's friend we went back home and gathered up some clothing and shoes that we thought this family could use.

This to me is what Christmas is about - giving to those truly in need - instead of rushing around at the last minute scooping up whatever gifts I could find that I thought those on my list may like. Maybe those gifts will be appreciated by those on my list, but surely not nearly as much as the gift of clothing & shoes will be appreciated by a family that's lost everything.