25 Gifts for Christmas

Preface: I grew up in Croatia (formerly a part of Yugoslavia), where we spent our Christmases quietly. It was a festive time, but not much, and certainly nothing like how it is celebrated in America. All we had at home around Christmas time was a little Charlie Brown-like tree with a few old German ornaments hanging off of it. Only a few gifts carefully wrapped by my mom— maybe a pair of socks, a chocolate bar, or pencils from Italy—were underneath the tree. After I moved to America, I cried every holiday season. At first it was from the wonder and joy I found in gorgeous decorations, beautiful music, the spirit, and the sacred story celebrated by so many people. Later, when I started having my own kids, the tears came from being overwhelmed and stressed out; sometimes, even disappointed. I couldn’t understand why Christmas trees were thrown out the day after Christmas! For me, the holidays would begin on Christmas Eve and last for the full Twelve Days. I needed that time to soak in the magic, savor the peace, and honor the sacredness of this beautiful holiday. After all, I worked hard to prepare for the holidays. One of my favorite American Christmas traditions is the Advent Calendar. I’d buy one for my sons every year. I absolutely loved watching them open tiny paper windows and finding a surprise. I’d watch them cherish each small gift and saying something like “Wow! I always wanted one of these!” Or “This one is the best yet!” Each of the 25 gifts surpassed the previous one, not because of its objective value, but because of my child’s excitement and appreciation. For years, I secretly hoped someone would gift me with an Advent Calendar. When I got tired of waiting, I made my own. From Introduction: I invite you to reserve some time just for yourself each day. The idea is to open these gifts mindfully, fully present in a moment made just for you. Perhaps you can do this in a quiet spot somewhere in your home. Or, if you live in a warmer climate, you can take each of these 25 Gifts outdoors with you via the accompanying audio downloads, available for you to listen to as you take your daily walk. You can take these gifts in and reflect on them, contemplating what each one brings to you. Then, each day, write down three things relating to each gift for which you are grateful. You can use the downloadable Gratitude Tree on which to write down your three daily thoughts of gratitude. Think of it: by the end, you will have seventy-five instances of gratitude that will become your own permanent keepsake reminder of all that you have to be thankful for. A bonus available to you, as a buyer of this book, is a playlist of Christmas songs. I hope you will enjoy them and that they will enrich your experience. I hope you enjoy it! The Gift of Your Story One of the greatest gifts you have is the gift of YOU. It is that gift of YOU that shows up for the rest of the world to see, and it is shown through your own story—through the steps in life you’ve taken so far. What you have to say shows up in what you do, the way you show up right now, and it shows in the joy and sense of purpose with which you move your story forward. Your story is the story of a journey. All our stories are. Every step in it counts. Every step is a gift—even the ones that hurt you or maybe even caused pain to your loved ones. Each step happens in a single moment, and each presents an opportunity to say “yes“ to love and “no“ to fear and destructive behavior. God speaks to us when we are willing to listen to that voice deep within our soul. This Advent season, you are discovering the gifts that make up your story. At Christmas, you will present them to Emmanuel, or “God with us.” You don’t actually have to wait until Christmas, but it’s good to take this as a process, as a journey, so you can really soak in each particular gift. Like all good stories, each of our stories will have ups and downs, and conflicts and resolutions. They will feature heroes and villains or those who challenge us. There will be a love interest as well as pain and passion that come with that love, and, finally, there will be side characters and comic reliefs. Reflect on your story so far and write down three things for which you are most grateful. Is it the failures or the successes? Maybe what you remember are the people who make your story exciting and challenging. Finally, ask yourself, “What can I do today to move my story in a direction that will bring me closer to that place where love, and Christ, is born for me?”