first christmas

Our first Christmas as the Hanson family with me, and it was wonderful. I love forming our family - creating traditions, being intentional, passing on songs, customs, and gifts. 

I think one of my favorite moments this year happened at our church. Being part of Christmas - especially the kids pageants/programs - was one of the reasons we wanted to get back into some kind of church to begin with. (Check out www.cascadechurchpdx.org!) We signed the girls up as angels for the church’s Christmas Eve program, and learned the couple of songs. Then two weeks ago, Lucy volunteered to do a solo of a verse of a song she didn’t even know! She practiced and memorized and practiced, and was so excited for the night of the service. Zinni, on the other hand, did not like any of it. Didn’t want to sing with the other kids, didn’t want to go up on the stage, didn’t want to wear her halo and wings. We told her of course she didn’t have to do it, but we thought she’d have a lot of fun if she tried! 

As Christmas approached, focus shifted to the many gifts piling under the tree. While of course kids are going to be excited to open presents, I wanted to make sure that’s not all that our Christmas was about. We thought of ways to incorporate generosity and thinking of others into our holiday, but I still worried that nothing would matter to the girls besides presents, presents, presents. 

Then, as Christmas Eve arrived, we headed to our church for the Christmas Eve service. Lucy was bouncing excitedly at the front part of the line of angels waiting to go on stage, while I held Zinni near the back, still not knowing if she would get up on stage at all. When it was time, Lucy bounded down the aisle. Zinni stopped to fix her halo, and then took my hand as I walked her down, pointed to her spot, and told her to have fun. To my amazement, she walked up confidently and took her place. 

Both girls sang so happily, arms waving with the hand motions, surrounded by other angels and shepherds and bath animals. Lucy blew us away with her solo, I thought my heart might explode. 

But the moment I’ve been thinking about was after the service. When we all got up to go and someone mentioned opening presents tomorrow morning, Lucy exclaimed, “Oh, I forgot all about Christmas!” 

I just smiled. Grateful that for the 35 minutes we were gathered in that room, nothing mattered except what we were doing right there. Being together, singing joyfully, telling the story. 

Christmas morning and all its presents were wonderful too. I’m so glad to give the girls those memories in our living room under the tree. But I’m also so grateful to be able to give them a moment of being part of something bigger than themselves, and feeling caught up in it. That is Christmas magic.