Christmas People

My girls and I were at REI yesterday, in the middle of checking off a long to-do list, when suddenly my youngest noticed her sister’s purse, “Is that a Mimom purse?”

“Yes,” her sister replied. “Mom had it in her closet and she let me have it.  And you’re not going to believe this but still smells like her perfume.”

Mimom was their grandmother. My husband’s mom. She passed away early this year.

And so there we all stood as if suspended in time, crushed between the rounders at REI, smelling the leather straps of that purse.

For just a couple minutes, we all missed Mimom out loud. We remembered how chic she was ~ and how she always smelled so good. Her kindness, her generosity.

We miss her. Especially at this time of year.

There’s a reason for that. It’s because Christmas reminds you about the real stuff in life.

It’s not about spending money, buying gifts or checking off a long list of things to-do. Christmas is about people ~ and the moments that happen when you’re with people. Like the moment we had at REI remembering Mimom.

Deep down in my gut I know that and yet, I have been guilty of having freak out moments this season. Those tense, weird times when I feel like I can’t get it all done. When I worry about the lack of ornaments on our tree. Or the haphazard way I’ve been attacking my to-do list.

Then God grants an epiphany right in the middle of REI … and I am humbled. Startled by the reality that this season all started with one tiny baby that grew into a man ~ who understood wholly what it meant to really love people. And be with people. Immanuel.

Much like we are to be Easter people, we are to be Christmas people.  To slow down enought to love and just be.

We will miss celebrating with Mimom this year. But I’m quite sure her Christmas will be the best yet. Rejoicing in the reality of Immanuel.

 

Are you missing someone special this Christmas … ?