Do You Know What’s Special About Christmas?

Last night I had to make sure Brody knew Santa Clause was watching. He was being a little rambunctious. I told him if he's not good, Santa will not bring the bike he wants. He paused a minute and asked me, " Did I get any presents last Christmas?" Wow.

Yes, he did. His mother and I shopped, price checked, and shopped some more and wondered if it was enough. I know kids love getting stuff from Santa and adults do to apparently, if you pay any attention to the thousands of ads for sales and door busters encouraging us to buy more and more and more.  It seems to me as I get older that the season is over shadowed by, as the Grinch put it, packages, boxes and bags.

A little later, I asked Brody if he wanted to help me make some chocolate candy. His eyes lit up. He ran to the pantry and grabbed his little grilling apron. (cooks wear aprons you know) I measured the ingredients and he poured them in the pan and stirred.

What he said to me next made be swallow a little hard. "Daddy, Do you know what's special about Christmas?" "What" I replied

He answered: " Making your special candy like we did last year" .

He didn't remember if Santa brought him toys last year but he remembered us cooking the chocolate candy. He remembered licking the spoon. He remembered us spending time together. He will always remember it. The hustle and bustle of shopping and searching for the perfect price for the perfect gift has it's place. But so do the little things kids will actually remember for the rest of their lives.