Andrea Frondorf
contributing writer
tis’ the season
C
hristmas is the time of year for wonderful smells of cookies, gingerbread
and pine trees, along with the sights of stockings, nativity scenes and
twinkling Christmas lights. There is a warm, sweet feeling as we fill our
lives with friends, good cheer and love while decorating our homes,
purchasing special gifts for loved ones to delight in and indulging in Christmas gatherings. The
sweet nostalgia of memories from Christmas past are precious and endearing, and the anticipation of celebrating our Savior’s birth awaits us sweetly.
Sometimes the hustle and bustle of shopping, parties and baking can crowd our minds and
hearts of the true season of CHRISTmas, though! We can so easily get caught up in the “doing”
of making the Christmas season bright instead of the “being” of enjoying the season for what it
truly is. Thinking of this as we approach this time of year reminded me of a time in high school
when I sat back from the craziness of finishing exams, working, and trying to get shopping done
for my family and friends, and thought about what Christmas really meant to me. We had a formal living room that Mom always put the tree up in because it fit so perfectly and quite snuggly
in our bay window. No matter how old we became, she always placed twinkling colored lights
on the tree, as opposed to the more sophisticated white lights that I came to love even more
as I got older. But when I think back to that tree, I am filled with warm memories and a sweet
pose. Being thankful helps keep our minds in check of v