My Best Christmas Gifts of 2008

Our Christmas this year was low key. Everyone in the family has cut back on spending due to the economic downturn, and there wasn't any disposable income left over to buy extravagant extras. But for my family, that is just fine. We are happy to get together, share a meal, play some games, and help those who are less fortunate if the opportunity presents itself. We're not saints or anything, but we are Christians and try to adhere to what we feel is the true meaning of Christmas.

We weren't able to give Nintendo Wii systems, Apple iPod phones, Canon camcorders, Nikon digital cameras, PlaystationGuitar Hero games, Panasonic big screen LCD TV's, or Blu-ray DVD players ... but we did give and receive presents that will last a lifetime.

My favorite Christmas gifts this year were simple in nature, some might even think they're cheesy, but that's okay with me.

Watching my kids on Christmas morning is always a gift. My oldest son may not have a lot of money, but he is a whiz at bartering goods and skills on Craigslist. He knew that his younger brother wanted a bass guitar so he traded some things to get it for him. The look on my youngest son's face when he saw the guitar was priceless! It was truly a Kodak moment!

The gift of life! Having battled cancer, I value life more than ever now. Last year I was still sick and my hair was just starting to come back in from the chemo. This year I have a full head of hair and I'm alive. I think sometimes people who are healthy do not realize what a valuable treasure they have.

Laughter is a fantastic present. I sang goofy songs and recorded the tunes onto CD's, then enclosed the CD inside Christmas cards and sent them to friends. I gave the gift of laughter and received a lot of joy in the process. I don't know who laughed more ... the people I gave the cards to, or me while I was recording them.

The gift of giving helped me stay in the Christmas spirit amidst the hustle and bustle that seems to come with the holidays. This year, I dropped money into every single Salvation Army bucket I passed. I always try to put some change into Salvation Army buckets each year during the holidays, but this year I was especially inspired to give more. My special inspiration came from fellow CP Donna Porter's article titled "Salvation Army Saves Another Soul, Mine". Every time I heard that tinkling bell rang by someone standing beside those red pails, I recalled her words and was challenged to make a donation. I didn't have a lot of extra money to contribute, but did what I could. Thank you Donna for sharing your story.

Creating new memories and sharing old ones is another valuable gift we partook of as a family this Christmas. We got out the old home movies and were flooded with sentimental memories of all shapes as sizes as we watched the captured moments. The kids enjoyed seeing themselves transformed from babies, to toddlers, to teens, and adulthood.

The Christmas season of 2008 will remain a memorable holiday for us for many reasons. I wish everyone a blessed life filled with joy, laughter, hope, and good health.