Dear Readers,

The sounds of children screaming and shouting in pure joy and excitement ring in every schoolyard and neighborhood playground. The soft visions of a Christmas tree propped against the background of a fireplace and families nestled together on the couch become the silhouettes cast in every living room. The repeated cycles of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” act as the celebrated theme song for the entire month. The malls draw in flooding crowds seeking the material gifts that will later pale in comparison to the love and adoration that was never appreciated. As an avid lover of Christmas, I’ve been faced with the same question over and over: “Why do you love Christmas so much?” And each time someone forces this question into my face with a snide and judgmental look, I’m reminded of the beauty — the magic — the love — the hope — the miracles that the holiday season has to offer. Despite the cynicism of those who shun the holiday as a commercial and corporate monster, I’m a firm believer that this truly is this the most wonderful time of the year. Before you brush off the holiday as nothing more than a distant childhood dream dissipated by age and experience, open your eyes just a little more.

On the surface, Christmas is a time for magic; children throw their hearts and minds into the concept that there is someone out there much larger and loving than they could every imagine who cares about them. The wonder in their eyes and belief in the magic of the holidays is the foundation for a cemented hope in adulthood: sometimes we all need to hold onto the notion that there is something or someone ready to save us from the harrowing realities of today — perhaps believing isn’t such a childish idea after all.

Christmas is a time for love. At its very foundational core, the holiday season is a celebration of the friends and family who mean the most — the people that we work long agonizing jobs for — the lives that we devote ourselves to — the souls that deem this journey impossible to endure without. Despite the fact that it may not seem ever present in the world, at Christmas people find it in their hearts to forward a smile to a passing stranger or commit that act of pure kindness without an extrinsic motivation looming overhead. The love of a child, a parent, and a friend are the gifts that need no bow or box but often, unfortunately, fail to please most.

Christmas is a time for forgiveness. In light of the holiday season, we mend broken fences, rebuild bridges burned, and find the strength to acknowledge the sins of our enemies as basic flaws that make us human. The anger that we harbor in our souls and the flashbacks of betrayal that constantly replay in our heads are all released; to love the people who have wronged us is what makes the holiday season a time of redemption and renewal.

Christmas is a time for remembrance. Although there are countless instances of happiness and joy, Christmas does often strike a painful chord as we acknowledge the people missing. We’re reminded of the laughter they brought us — the efforts they went to make the holiday season the best one for us when we were children — the familiar embrace that still crawls around our bodies in the cool wind. But in the dismal thought that they are no longer with us, there is a beauty in the fact their memories and stories are hung on every branch and wrapped in every bow. And it’s the secret hope that on that snowy night the bird that passes or child that beckons its first cry is in some form our loved letting us know they never truly left us, especially during a season of gratitude, family, and love.

Christmas is a time for miracles. Above all the other seasons, Christmas time offers a strong belief that anything is possible — even the wishes and aspirations that seem completely out of reach. They are the moments of clarity where a person realizes how lucky they are to be surrounded by a family that loves them unconditionally. They are the instances where our friends reach out to us in times of trouble, lending us that small or large favor we were too bashful to ask for. They are the heartbeats in the sick and the weak that continue to drum on despite a failing health. They are the sacrifices of the valiant and brave who fight and push to keep people safe, protected, and loved. They are the unspoken hopes that on that fateful night maybe the ones we lost will come to us in the form of a dream, a stranger, or even a familiar face.

Christmas is not just a holiday for giving and receiving gifts. It’s not about putting up a Christmas tree or listening to festive music. It has nothing to do with opening Advent calendars or writing letters to Santa Claus. Christmas is a time of human healing and kindness — a period of graciousness and humbleness — a state of joy that should be crafted in one month, but perpetuated in the remaining 11.

So while you float through this next month buying gifts, listening to music, and embracing the holiday nostalgia remember that there is so much more than meets the eye during Christmas time.