Christmas: A Time of Anticipation

This is a time of season when we look forward to receiving gifts. We eagerly make list of things that we would like to open from under the Christmas tree (note: it is not a "holiday tree"). According to the national news, one of the most requested items that kids ask their parents to get is a nano ipod. Other things that kids might ask from their parents range from clothes to gimmicks to televisions. Some might even go as far as asking their parents, "can you buy me one of those Lexus cars with a red ribbon on the top of it" or "Lamborghini, please? At least I want to try to catch Santa next year when he lands on my roof."

This is also a season of joy and sadness. Some of the America's finest Patriots (read: troops) are out there fighting a war aimed at liberating a country from the heavy hand of a dictator. They are fighting over there for the sake of our freedom, even when it seems like it is for their sake. I am not going to dedicate myself to the politics of the war in this one... it is a whole another discussion to cover in the future, but there are many families whose soldiers won't be home with them during the Christmas season. My prayer is always with them until the day they return home. Even in the midst of sadness, they can still express their inner joy by knowing that their sons and daughters are out there fighting for a just and noble cause. They know that in Iraq, those men are considered as their national heroes.

It makes me wonder about one thing during this season. Since we celebrate Christmas, do any of us really know how precious that gift is? Do we ever take the time to thank our ancestors who fought so hard and shed their blood for a cause that they believed in? Do we really know how much they surrendered in the past for this nation and for their descendants to give us this privilege to celebrate?

In midst of shopping frenzy and stress, we need to stop ourselves during this season, forget the list of things that needs to be accomplished and just gaze at that green tree decorated with illuminating lights and ornaments. As we gaze at it, we should ponder, "What is the real reason for Christmas? What makes this holiday so important to America?" What makes this holiday so important to everybody? It is not just about tradition, waking up early in the morning to kids' gleeful and excited cries of "Wake up! It's Christmas" or Santa Claus and his jovial "Ho! Ho! Ho!" With just 22 days left before Christmas, we should look beyond the Christmas trees and lights that illuminates houses across this nation to discover the true meaning of Christmas and the reason we celebrate it.