“What do you think [Santa] would like with that? Some milk?” Calvin
“I think “Santa” would rather have a cold beer.” Calvin’s Dad
“DEAR!” Calvin’s Mom

Here I am sitting in my office typing late on a Friday. Everyone is gone—as is the sun—but this has been a busy week. All the weeks are during Christmas. Parties and buying gifts, goodness I was up till mid-night earlier in the week just making a Christmas Card. I was pleased with the card, in a strange “sean” sort of way. It features a montage of pictures of the girls in front of our Christmas tree. In one Phoebe is trying to eat one of the ornaments, so the tag line is “Join the celebration of Christmas and maybe eat an ornament, The Taylors” (On another note, it is amazing my wife loves me…).

But that is kind of how the Christmas holiday goes. Decorations come out of the attic and are perfectly placed and the business has only begun. We rush, until is it is time to place the ornaments back into the attic and then we wonder where the season has gone. Admittedly this makes me a little depressed…

Of course I am speaking to parents. As students, the holiday has a different feel. One of anticipation. You are not as worried about setting decorations, getting gifts (at least not as many), or sending cards. Instead it is the wait until presents arrive. Ivy had her first dose of this when we placed packages under the tree yesterday. She was so excited and wanted to open them right away. Of course we must wait until Christmas, but this morning she was again hopeful that today she could open one…

This feeling of anticipation is closer to reality of Christmas, but even it is not correct. I wonder what we have created with this holiday?

It is like we do not know what to do with the arrival of Christ. Kind of like Phoebe with the ornament. She wanted to eat what should be admired… in the same way I worry we have devoured the holiness from the Christmas season. And in the rush and hope for plunder the season is left with questions that religion fails to answer—because the religious are among those rushing and plundering…