Christmas in Kansas

For years, my family would always go to Kansas when we could during the Christmas holiday season. It always felt warm, inviting.

My granhdparents would have the whole house decorated, every room had a touch of Christmas in it. It was like walking into a new world. A world with no violence, no hate, just tons of love, friends and family.

When you move around a lot like I did with my father being in the military, you learned to cherish the special moments you would get to be with family. Those times were few and far between for us. So every moment we were visiting we tried to make as memorable as possible.

From baking cookies to even the simple shopping trip to the local grocery store. Even saying hello the postman. There are times when I can even remember the smell of the Christmas cards that were dropped into the post box.

Christmas had always meant to me, calm times. Times of peace, times of renewal. I know this sounds like all the same that you will hear from many. But, it is true, when you live far away from family, everything feels new and inviting once again. Everything is set up to be a happy place a place with no stress, a place with all the hopes and dreams of the world.

Over the years that my husband was in the military. I tried to bring a touch of magic to my children, a sense of renewal for them, decorating our home to feel warm and inviting.

Although, this art of decorating, getting out all of the material items, the gift giving, it isn't just that, that says what Christmas really is.

Christmas is about the heart. The heart finding its way home, the heart being Home. All of us deep down know where Home is. Home is where we are most comfortable, home is the good times, the times we love the most, the times we want to share with others, the time we want to be.

During the winter as we all cozy to stay warm, we are in a sense at Home. We have reached a point in our lives that we are comfortable and accepting of our worlds around us. Each one looking to the next year, each one seeking a way to just be Home.