The Grinch

I love Dr. Seuss! He was a talented man. I renewed my appreciation for him tonight as I watched The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (cartoon version) on tv with my kids. I have read the book and seen the movie before, but somehow was quite touched by it tonight. There's the Grinch on top of the hill waiting to hear the kids begin to cry. What he sees instead is the whole village come out and join hands and begin to sing. He realizes that Christmas is more than just the decorations and gifts... that maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. I knew that before, but it really seemed to speak to me even more today. I hope that if for some reason we were every to not have gifts on Christmas, that we could still feel the joy that comes from celebrating Christ's birth. I hope that my children recognize that it truly is better to give than to receive. In Primary today, they had a really neat sharing time where "the wise men" came and told the children about their journey to see the Christ child and the gifts they brought and the gifts they received from Christ. Then Jackie, the primary president, talked about how the memories we have of Christmas really don't center around the things we get. One boy shared that he can remember giving toys to a needy family when he was six better than he can remember what he got for Christmas last year. That's really true. When I remember childhood Christmases, it is the feelings, the time with family, the traditions, the service we gave that stand out. I hope I am also creating these types of memories for my children.