“Maybe Christmas … Perhaps … Means a Little Bit More”

posted by Julia on December 24, 2011 0 comments »

Finding the Real Meaning of Christmas

At age 2 1/2 my munchkin is finally aware of Christmas – Baby Jesus, Santa, the Christmas Tree, the presents, the cookies and … the Grinch. She is in L – O – V – E with the Grinch. She loves the movies, the books, her Grinch stuffed toys, etc. Which means I have been reading the original “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” quite a bit – perhaps 2-3 times a day.

The last full reading was after quite a morning. We had been “shopping” – e.g. mommy trying to buy gifts while preventing toddler-destruction. We even had a full-on mega meltdown in our favorite book store. I was frazzled, she was crabby and I mentally focused on: 1. What I needed to do. 2. What I had not done yet. 3. What I was forgetting to do.

We were sitting on her bed prior to nap time, reading the book for the third time, and I was struck by two lines as I read them:

“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.”
“Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!”

There I was, spending a precious moment with my munchkin, one that will fade as time passes and she grows up, and my brain was focused on the “things,” “stuff” and “trappings” of Christmas. Not the real meaning of the season – the season that reminds us to enjoy the joys of life and everyone around us.

So, whether you are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa, or just reveling in this festive season, I hope you will stop, take a moment and enjoy everyone around you — take in every single precious moment and say your prayers and thank you’s reverently.

Christmas does mean a little more, it means a whole lot more than what the material world around us says it does. To me it represents the promise of forgiveness, as well as the opportunity to enjoy every moment we have here.

May the blessings, joy and peace of Christmas be with you tonight.

With Love & The Blessings of Christmas,

Julia

Photo Credit: The wonderful Tiffany Findley

posted by Julia on December 24, 2011

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Julia Montgomery Stewart

Nicknamed “Julia Child” at a young age, our own Julia is most at home in the kitchen. Lately, she has combined her culinary talents with a new hobby—fitness and healthy living. As a result, her recipes reflect an intriguing balance between eating well without sacrificing flavor. Outside the home, Julia is a consummate event planner, and spent the first ten years of her career as a publicist before expanding her portfolio of talents with the launch of Live Pretty in 2010. Balancing the busy demands of career and family, Julia lives with her husband and daughter in Orlando, Florida. In addition to her work in marketing, she serves a number of community organizations and initiatives in Central Florida.