Presents are transient. Colors, fads and sizes come and go. Toys break. But the gift of our inner presence is one that permeates and remains forever in our children’s memory bank. The presence of a calm, happy parent is ultimately a much richer and more meaningful gift for any child. Children are so mesmerized by TV ads and things they see on the internet, and they want to have one of everything! They “want want want”   and become consumer-crazy. The Christmas season can become a one-way street with “getting” being the end. One Christmas, nearly 25 years ago, I decided to be more proactive if my children were going to learn about the importance of presence― instead of just presents. I began with writing this letter:

My gift to you is that I choose to give you the following PRESENCE this Christmas:

1. My actual physical PRESENCE.I will keep you near me as I am shopping, baking, wrapping, and all the other myriad things that need to be done.
2. The PRESENCE of my PEACE. I will take time to do whatever it is I need to do so I can give you a peaceful PRESENCE rather than being hurried, harried and hassled.
3. The PRESENCE of spontaneous JOY. I will try to laugh with you when things don’t go the way we planned.
4. The PRESENCE of my unconditional LOVE. God loved us so much that He gave us His Son Jesus. His love for us is unconditional. I pray my love will shine through even though your ball has just destroyed the centerpiece we have worked for the last two painstaking hours…J
5. The PRESENCE of PATIENCE when you ask for the bazillioneth time, “How many more days until Christmas?”
6. The PRESENCE of KINDNESS as I teach you to share with those who are less fortunate than we are.
7. Most importantly, the PRESENCE of mind to always show you by my example that CHRIST is at the center of our Christmas.

I thank the Lord every day for giving me this wonderful PRESENT called YOU and now I want to give my PRESENCE back to you. I love you!     ~Mommy

This began the Christmas tradition of sharing gifts of time with one another. The presence of God became more evident and my children became less absorbed with just thinking of what presents they would receive.

All the holidays are special for me but I especially love Christmas. I like to start early so as the time gets closer, we can just enjoy the lights of the tree, the smells, and sounds of Christmas. We have established meaningful traditions, which I dearly cherish. For example, we do our Devotions for Advent every night with reverence instead of rushing through it just to get on to other things. I want my children to know the PRESENCE of the Christ Child at Christmas and to truly know that Jesus is the reason for the season. The effects of our PRESENTS are short-lived but the gifts of our PRESENCE can last for eternity.