This month, we're featuring Christmas memories from your favourite Canadian Christian authors!
A while ago, my husband and I, with our two grown daughters, made a decision to reduce the hassles of Christmas by celebrating with less commercialism. We’ve always emphasized the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Christ - but we expected some resistance from our four grandchildren when we explained there’d be less focus on presents under the tree and more emphasis on family time. So we were surprised at their delight when they found out we’d chosen to pool our money and take a vacation together instead of exchanging gifts.
A northern Ontario resort offered us cozy cottages with fireplaces, plus an outdoor rink, indoor pool, tubing hills, horse-drawn sleigh rides and a forest with hiking trails. Mornings were spent congregating in one of the cottages for a big breakfast and some reading, puzzles, artwork or crafts. Then we’d bundle up and have a fun day outdoors playing in the snow, ice skating and tobogganing. Later, we gathered around the fireplace, warmed up with hot chocolate, and got out the board games.
Christmas dinner was relaxed as we made do with plastic bowls and not enough serving spoons! But there was plenty of roast turkey with all the fixings, served with candles and linens brought from home. Later, we were pleased to hear our 8-year old grandson’s answer when a friend asked, “How did you like Christmas without gifts?” AJ replied, “Presents wear out, but memories last forever!”
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Sue Augustine is author of "Turn Your Dreams into Realities", "When Your Past is Hurting Your Present", and her most recent release, "Sanity Secrets for Stressed-Out Women".
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