Day # 212 - Merry Christmas

It's 4:30 in the morning. I go out to the living room and turn on the Christmas tree lights, giving the girls the illusion that they've been on all night. I lay in bed and try to sleep but I'm excited. I can't wait. I never really got to enjoy this with my sons.

Around six, I hear them in their room over the monitor. They're trying to figure out whether it's to early to get out of bed. It's an awesome conversation to hear. They come out to the living room and see the gifts under the tree. They're trying to contain their excitement but I no longer need the monitor to hear them. I hear them coming to my room, Abby is awake by now, but we pretend to be asleep. They look at us from the door, two silhouettes. They decide to let us sleep. I'm losing my mind by now, wanting to go out there and watch them open their gifts. Abby tells me to sit tight. She's the patient one in this dynamic.

The girls get loud all of a sudden and, with Abby's permission of course, I call out, "Who's out there?"
"The kids."
"Oh, okay. What are you doing?"
"We got presents!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"
And they come over with our present: a 2011 calendar Melissa made for us in class. Melissa patiently, and proudly, watches us go through each of the twelve months, explaining what each drawing is.

Now, it's time for presents. Instinctively, they take turns opening their presents, allowing me to shift the focus of the video camera from one child to the other. They're happy and we're happy because of it.

They won't believe in Santa forever and I'm fine with that. They have to grow up and they don't need permission to do so. But I see nothing wrong in maintaining their innocence for as long as possible. Magic is real if you believe in it and want my children's lives to have as much magic as possible. I owe them that.

It's also important, in my house, for them to be mindful of the reason for Christmas. There is no "X" in Christmas and we plan to keep it that way. Christmas is a great opportunity for teaching your children. Teach them that there are other people in the world and that the spirit of this holiday is not about receiving, it's about giving. That is the greatest gift I can give my children, that while we celebrate the birth of Christ by sharing gifts, we honor His life and sacrifice by sharing our blessings.

Merry Christmas. May the blessings of God be upon you and your family. Make it a great day.

- Adolfo

Day # 186 - Up in Lights

I finally got the Christmas lights up yesterday. I think my little house looks beautiful. I even got my little Snoopy countdown till Christmas up on the roof, complete with Woodstock. All I can think about at this point is how to improve it for next year. I'm going to need more lights. Lots more lights.

Now that it's done, and the tree and lights are up and all that remains is to wait for Santa, I have time to reflect. Am I engaging in the consumerism that I sought to avoid by not participating in Black Friday? Is this display, and my desire to expand it in 2011, gaudy? Or am I just showing the Christmas spirit I feel within me? Who knows? All I can say for sure is that I don't enjoy climbing up on that very high, steep roof, and I do it anyway. Part of it has to be when my daughters went outside and gasped and told me how beautiful their house looked. Maybe it's that even though they saw me working and climbing and Chevy-Chasing all over the house, they were still surprised and pleased with the finished product. Maybe it's because I get to be a hero to my little girls and for one moment I can feel like I am nearly good enough to be their Daddy. Then Emily said, "Let's go inside, I want ice cream," and I was promptly returned to earth.

The house can't be seen from space, and it won't win any awards, but I'm happy with it, and my family is happy. For the next month, it will be Christmas at the Jimenez Hacienda, and we will enjoy every minute of it. I can't say the same for the time I will spend at the malls.

Find a little light in your life and share it with your community and with the world. The best way to make the world a better place is to start with your own little piece of it. Be a light for the people you care most about and they will pass that along, creating a better world, and your legacy.

God Bless You. Season's Greetings. Make it your best day yet.

- Adolfo