The Letters

For anyone who is interested. Following are my Christmas Letters.

Edward,

God gives us many gifts all through our lives. It seems the greatest ones are often the those we forget. Christ was the greatest gift to the world. I hope This Christmas, one gift I give to you, is the chance to remember that and feel the great peace and joy that settled over the whole earth the night when He was born.

One of the greatest gifts that God gave me was your father. And with him, God gave me you. I loved you before I saw your cute face or heard your contagious laugh. But with each passing day, I love new things about you.

I love your excitement about and love of learning.

I love that you laugh so easily.

I love that when I explain something to you, you listen and you understand.

I love that you are easy going.

I love that you are not materialistic.

I love that you care about my opinion.

I love the unique way your mind works.

I love the stories you write or hope to write.

I love, that while you are so smart and things come so easily to you, you are humble and kind.

But if all those things suddenly vanished, I would still and will always love YOU!

Merry Christmas,

MOM

Henry,

God gives us many gifts all through our lives. It seems the greatest ones are often the those we forget. Christ was the greatest gift to the world. I hope This Christmas, one gift I give to you, is the chance to remember that and feel the great peace and joy that settled over the whole earth the night when He was born.

One of the greatest gifts God gave me was your father. And with him, God gave me you. I loved you before you sprang into the world so quickly they had to grab a doctor heading to her car to deliver you. Before you could smile that heartwarming smile, I loved you. But with each passing day, I love new things about you.

I love your imagination.

I love that you feel responsible for the small creatures in the world.

I love that you like it when I cry over sweet things.

I love that you are always polite.

I love that you know how to make others feel good about themselves.

I love the songs you compose on the piano.

I love that you appreciate the beauty of words.

I love how you remember every story you have ever heard.

I love that you recognize true joy and acknowledge it when you see it.

But if all those things suddenly vanished, I would still and will always love YOU.

Merry Christmas,

MOM

Sarah,

God gives us many gifts all through our lives. It seems the greatest ones are often the those we forget. Christ was the greatest gift to the world. I hope This Christmas, one gift I give to you, is the chance to remember that and feel the great peace and joy that settled over the whole earth the night when He was born.

One of the greatest gifts God gave me was your father. And with Daddy, God gave me you. I loved you before I saw your sweet little face and before I knew you as my first little girl. But with each passing day, I love new things about you.

I love when you sing from way down in your soul.

I love when you write beautiful prayers.

I love that people call you my Mini Me.

I love your sense of style and that you are your own person.

I love that you care about every one of your stuffed animals.

I love the pictures you draw and the cards you make.

I love how you want your daddy to kiss you good night.

I love when you do gymnastics.

I love how loyal you are to those you love.

But if all those things suddenly vanished, I would still and will always love YOU!

Merry Christmas,

MOM

Simon,

God gives us many gifts all through our lives. It seems the greatest ones are often the those we forget. Christ was the greatest gift to the world. I hope This Christmas, one gift I give to you, is the chance to remember that and feel the great peace and joy that settled over the whole earth the night when He was born.

One of the greatest gifts God gave me was your father. And with Daddy, God gave me you. I loved you from the moment I saw your face on the computer. I loved you before I ever heard your voice or held your hand. But with each passing day, I love new things about you.

I love how you can figure out how to put things together.

I love that you are kind to your friends.

I love that you are polite to adults.

I love that you can do a job really well.

I love the boats and planes and toys you make with paper and string.

I love that you now trust me.

I love how quickly you learned to speak English.

I love how you like to wear a tie.

I love how you can see the good in things.

But if all these things suddenly vanished, I would still and will always love YOU!

Merry Christmas,

MOM

Lilly,

God gives us many gifts all through our lives. It seems the greatest ones are often the those we forget. Christ was the greatest gift to the world. I hope This Christmas, one gift I give to you, is the chance to remember that and feel the great peace and joy that settled over the whole earth the night when He was born.

One of the greatest gifts God gave me was your father. Together with daddy, God gave me you. I loved you before I saw your face in a little picture delivered by the UPS man, before I knew which little girl God had chosen for me. But with every passing day, I love new things about you.

I love how you march around with your broom cross.

I love how you love to clean.

I love how you love the mass.

I love how quickly you learn things.

I love how you love basketball.

I love how independent you are.

I love when you giggle.

I love that you love to read.

I love that you practice and practice until you have figured out how to do what you are trying.

But if all these things suddenly vanished, I would still and will always love YOU!

Merry Christmas,

MOM

Radical Christmas Results

Now, officially out of the Christmas Season, I am still in a sort of daze at the success of our radical Christmas. I knew that all my efforts to create a new kind of Christmas experience would one day be recognized by my children. But I was certainly not prepared for what happened. We did quite a few things we have never done before, like working a soup kitchen on Christmas Day, but the real Radical was what happened on Christmas eve and on Christmas morning before the sun came up.

Reason for the change: My kids were fighting over what they could put on their Christmas Wish Lists. No actual toys needed for greediness here. We can fight over the idea of junk.

Radical Change: They were informed on the First Sunday of Advent that I was writing to Santa and he would only be filling their stockings. I was asking him to take their toys to a needy child instead. From us they would be getting one thing and it would be special, but not a toy.

Implementation Part One: On Christmas eve they were given their gift from me. Each child received a letter with a list of ten things I love about them. Taped to the letter was a small brass key. The key opened a hand carved wooden box from Poland. Inside the box was a set of dog tags for the boys with their initials and a cross, for the girls, a Love God bracelet. They each also received five silver coins representing five Polish Saints.

Result: It looked as if it was going to get ugly when son number two, getting impatient to open something, began to say things like "It isn't even like Christmas. We might as well not even get anything." My intention was to wait until his cousins had gone to do the gifts, but I gave him his letter and told him to take the box in another room to open it. He returned to the room after having gone down stairs to do something. He gave me a hug and said, "I gave my cousin my phiten (his prize possession)." "Why?" I asked. "Because Mom," he began fingering the dog tags," I will be wearing these, like, for my whole life." A few weeks later, after being rather a pain, I received a letter from him on my computer with a list of things he loves about me.

Her aunt read my daughter her letter. As it was read, I saw her nod her head with a satisfied smile on her face. My oldest just gave me a hug, folded his letter and placed it in his box of treasures. He put his key on his dog tags and placed them around his neck.

Then one by one, with boxes under arm and without being asked, they silently slipped up to bed.

Implementation Part 2: Their stockings on Christmas morning contained mostly candy. I did include an old fashion tin of marbles in each and a figurine: Alexander the Great, Sherlock Holmes, and Blackbeard the Pirate to name three, nothing modern or exciting. I stayed in bed not really wanting to witness the morning. From my bed, to my great shock and surprise, I heard the normal Christmas sounds: "Awesome, look at this!" "His pipe comes out." "Look at this armor, is this the coolest thing you have ever seen." "Anyone want to play me in marbles?"

What I think they learned and what I know I did:

*When think we are owed nothing, everything begets gratitude.

*Though we think we want all sorts of things, what we really want, and in fact what we need, is to know we are loved.

And isn't that what Christmas is about. We were owed nothing, but God so loved the world He sent His Only Son. And shouldn't we all get to feel just once how:

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth.

I lied when I said they went silently to bed. What I did hear floats on the wind still...

"This was the best gift I have ever gotten."

Was it the Box? Its contents? The letter? Or did I somehow manage despite all my failings and insecurities to remove the distractions and manage to let the soul feel its worth?