The innocence ends for all of us eventually, and for some that time comes at unfortunately a very young age. Sometimes sickness, familial conflicts, or a multitude of other negative forces take hold of what should be a glorious time of our lives, our childhood. However, no matter what our age, nor our background, it is never too late to turn our gaze towards the youth of our world, try to see the world through their young and innocent eyes, and either relive through them or live for the first time the joy that each year's Christmas season should bring.
Our children do grow up fast, and because of that certainty of life, it is essential that we help them celebrate in this uncertain world, their whimsical fantasies of youth and enjoy their childhood the way God intended. With the innocence and exuberance for life that only a child is capable of.
Sometimes it takes having our own children to revive that same exuberance that we remember feeling at a young age. When my father passed away just two days prior to Christmas day when I was but a mere 11 years of age, I became numb to the well wishers and helpful humanitarians that came to the aid of our spirit zapped family. Yet to this day, I cannot and hope to never forget with each passing year, the long lasting importance of what they did for us. Whether it was bringing a freshly prepared meal for us to eat, or a kindly wrapped present in the absence of any, their thoughtfulness will always be appreciated.
It was many years before I was able to feel the same joy and exuberance from the Christmas traditions of my early youth, but eventually it did return, and with even greater intensity as I was able to welcome my own two beautiful children in to our world. The importance of them being able to feel the same excitement that I was fortunate to experience was not only important, but essential.
That is why I implore anyone who feels the same rush of excitement that a child feels during Christmas to consider volunteering your time where possible to a worthy children's charity or organization for those less fortunate. No child should ever be deprived of their right to celebrate the same Christmas traditions that are afforded the more fortunate. You might be surprised at how just a few minutes out of a day can go a long way towards bringing happiness to a less fortunate child. They may not thank you now, but it will have a long lasting impact on their lives, and they will most likely want to repeat the kindness for someone else less fortunate later in their own life.
So, I beseech all of us to try and see the world through child-like eyes, and give back to those youth of the world who are maybe not in a position to celebrate the Christmas season the way it should be. By keeping the child inside of us alive, we are in a great position to help out wherever possible.
Merry Christmas!
Stephen Baird is an author, villagescape artisan, and founder-owner of the popular and well respected Christmas display firm Village Fantasies, designers of animated and life like Harvest and Christmas villages for commercial clients. If you are a business that would like to attract more foot traffic during the holidays, or you would just love to enjoy the artisan work of Stephen, please visit our site.
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