Even Kids Know it’s Not Just about the Toys…
Posted on: December 28, 2011
- In: 4 year-old | children | growing up | kids | lessons | Mommyhood | Moms | parenthood | parenting | religion | traditions | Uncategorized | Women
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This Christmas has come and gone.
So many preparations 
And it goes by way too fast.
We get caught up in the shopping and the presents,
The cooking and the cleaning.
Do we stop to think about what Christmas is truly about?
Boo, our almost-5-year-old, continued to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas.
During the Advent season, one day she came home to announce that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday.
Boo: Mom, did you know that Christmas is Jesus’ birthday?
Mom: Yes.
Boo: What a great celebration! What do we get Him for his birthday?
Mom: The greatest gift we can give Him is to be good people and to love each other.
Boo: I can do that!
As we set out the decorations, she took each Nativity scene out of its box, took the Baby Jesus and spoke to it.
Boo: Your birthday is coming Baby Jesus! We will get You a good gift!
Then every day as she walked passed one, she’d say, “Happy Birthday Christouli (Jesus)!”
The day before Christmas Eve, she was sitting, eating breakfast.
We were about to go upstairs to get ready for school, when she shouted out.
Boo: Mom! Skywriters!
(Have you ever seen the lines in the sky created by airplane exhaust? When I was a kid, we called them skywriters, and always looked to see if there was a message. I told my daughter this.)
Mom: Is there a message?
Boo: Come quick! It’s a stavro (Greek for cross)!
I went to the window, and sure enough, there was a huge white cross in the sky.
Mom: It’s a message!
Boo: It’s a message from Jesus, to remind us what Christmas is all about! Happy Birthday Jesus!
I got chills when it happened, and I’m getting chills as I type this.
A message from God.
Always pretty amazing when that happens.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve night.
Boo never ceases to amaze me – what a thoughtful, sensitive, sweet and caring little girl.
I always tell her that her heart is ten times too big.
We were getting into our car to go home, and she looked up and noticed a lot of stars in the sky.
In the city, we don’t see many stars.
She was fascinated.
One was really bright.
Dad: Could that be Santa?
Boo: No. I think it’s Christouli.
She stopped, looked up, and clasped her hands together to pray. 
Boo: Dear Christouli. Happy Birthday! I hope we all have a wonderful Christmas! Let’s have a great day! I love you!
I thought I’d cry. It was so beautiful.
Then she told us that the Three Wise Men followed the star to find the Baby Jesus.
That star followed us all the way home.
You might say it was an airplane.
Some may say it’s a little girl’s imagination.
Even four year-old’s know the true meaning of Christmas.
Do we?
Even when she got caught up in her presents, a few moments later, she would speak about Jesus.
A four year-old knows, remembers.
Do we?
From the Mommy Files... 
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