It’s Wes’s first Christmas, and while he could care less, I’m pretty excited.
I’ve seen this reoccurring idea circulating around the internet where on
Christmas Eve you let your kids open one gift that contains Christmas pajamas, a
movie, popcorn and candy. They wear the pajamas, watch the movie and have the
popcorn and candy for the movie. Wes is still too young for the movie and food,
but who doesn’t love some Christmas pajamas. I know I did as a kid. I only
received one set of Christmas pajamas from my grandma when I was 7 or 8, and I
loved them. It was a set of red and plaid pajama pants and a matching long
sleeve top, clearly made from NON-fire retardant fabric. In fact, I think they
probably came with a warning on them that said they could be used as fire
starter…but I loved them all the same.
Little side story about those pajamas. After I got them my mom, being the
great mom she is, sent me to go write a thank you letter to my grandma. I
started,
“ Dear Grandma,
Thank you so much for the Christmas pjs…”
I stopped. I couldn’t remember, was it Pajamas or Bajamas? Remember, I was
only about 7. I thought about it for a moment, and then decided, it must but be
Bajamas. I carefully added another loop, changing my P to a B.
It wasn’t until a few years later, after I had learned how to spell pajamas,
that I remembered this letter to grandma. Realizing I had spelled it
incorrectly, even years later, I was so embarrassed. Fast-forward many, many
years later, I recalled this moment again, and laughed out loud, realizing I had
written, “Thank you so much for the Christmas bjs,” to my Grandma. I’m sure she
got a kick out of it at the time.
But back to Wes. I want to make traditions for him, I want to things to feel
special, not because of all the presents he may or may not get, but because of
the memories we’ve made with him during Christmas, and because of the hope the
Christmas story brings. I can’t wait to make every memory with him. I can’t wait
for him to open his pajamas and to explain to him why we celebrate Christmas, to
tell him the real story and to have him feel the magic I felt when I learned
about how God sent his only son for us, that he came to us as a baby that night
in Bethlehem, and that the angels announced his arrival in the sky to the
shepherds.
This Christmas I think he’ll like the wrapping paper most, but he will be
opening Christmas pajamas this Christmas Eve even so, even if the magical
feeling is just for me.