You know that feeling you get, once Thanksgiving (or Halloween, if you decide to skip turkey day altogether) is over and the weather starts to get a bit colder? Your heart is just somewhat happier? You're more upbeat, almost excited?
That's what Christmas is about.
Obviously, the word itself has religious connotations, but the spirit of the holidays as a hole runs deeper than just one individual religion. It's more like a state of mind. The "holiday season" isn't just about giving or receiving gifts - it's about being thankful for the past year, and being hopeful for the year to come.
However, we live in a day and age that materialistic things rule our lives. I'm a millennial, and I personally think that adults complain about us being on our phones because they themselves can't operate an iPhone, but they do have a point. Our lives are controlled by our phones, or tablets, or laptops. As a college student, electronics are pretty crucial, but it's possible that it's getting to a point where we can't even go an hour without checking our email or seeing what's going on in the social media world.
When I was little, I didn't really care for much around the holiday season other than what I would get for Christmas. I got the coolestgifts - a barbie dream house, a pixel chix (you remember these, right?), an even a trampoline, assembled outside in the dark before me and my sister even woke up at some ungodly hour. If I didn't get what I wanted, I cried and vented about how much I hated my parents in my diary.
The older I get, the more I realize I was being childish. Obviously, because I was a child, but more importantly, I was being selfish. I didn't realize that my parents being able to get me even something made me luckier than most. They tried their hardest to get whatever me and my sister wanted, and we took it for granted.
Also, as I age, I need less and less things. I have a job, I can buy myself presents. At 20, the things I need now, to name a few, are supportive parents, loving friends, and maybe a few home-cooked meals here and there when I come home from school.
Christmas is about love. Love for others, love for life, and love for yourself. Sure, presents are fun, but it won't make or break the holiday season. The holidays are about enjoying life and being with who you love. They're about slowing time down, even if it's just for just a few days, to fall in love with life all over again.
Christmas is so much more than presents. Don't take it for granted. Tell someone you love them
Merry Christmas.
