Children

Joy can be found in little children's hearts and souls and the holiday season can be lightened by looking for this joy in each child you come across. Remember that there is a child within each of us as well. Let that child come out to play, to dance, and to sing. This is a time of jingle bells and holly berries, a time for laughter and smiles and hugs.

Storytelling

In the chaos of the holiday season, sometimes the joy of Christ’s birth is lost. It seems to me that it is joy that He wishes to spread during the celebration of His birth. To rediscover this joy, find time to explore the people around you. Ask about holiday traditions…find out what brings joy (or tears) to their eyes. Make it a time of reminiscing, of storytelling, and a time to share from the heart. You can share these stories as formally as recording them in a book and giving it as a gift to a child or friend, or simply by sharing stories orally around the holiday dinner table. It is this human element that brings joy to this divine holiday. The stories you hear during this time can be shared by all—religious and non-religious alike. The important thing is not what an individual does or does not believe in—just that they find a story in their heart that brings them joy.

Human Family

Rejoice with everyone around you. Celebrate with family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. It does not matter what your relationship is during the rest of the year, right now we are all one family—the human family celebrating a season of renewed hope. There is hope in the Christ child, hope of the coming spring, and hope of the eternal light that shines within everyone.