I wrote this 4 years ago, but it was a good reminder to me about what is important. I didn’t edit it or put in paragraphs, I just copied it as is from Facebook:

We all need to look at the world through the eyes of a child, not just so that we can catch the wonder and excitement in the everyday, but to remember that everything they experience leaves a lasting impression. Looking at the big boxes of unorganized Christmas decorations does not instill the same joy and thrills in me as it does in my 6 year old grandson. He's digging through and saying, "Look at this!" "I remember that!" "Grandma, I love Christmas!" Because of his excitement, and because I know I'm creating his memories, I am willing to go through the motions and eventually catch the spirit myself. Watching his 1 year old brother's eyes light up with the plugging in of the colored lights reminds me that we are responsible to instill joy and tradition into the next generation. We don't ever get to say I'm too old, I’ve put up enough trees in my life time, i don't want to bother this year. One way or other we are going to pass on what the holidays will mean to our children and grandchildren. We can pass on stress and impatience over the holidays, or self-sacrifice and love for family. So, I am happy to say my house is now littered with decorations, sparkly garland shreds all over the rug and Christmas lights that only half the string lights up. My 20 year old Christmas tree has seen better days, but my daughter filled it with uneven, mismatched lights and it's ready for the boys to hang years of collected ornaments onto. (One ornament has already been dropped, shattered and vacuumed up!). Charlie brown has nothing on us! Soon the unused decorations and mess will be cleaned up, the floor will be vacuumed, and colored lights will flicker inside and out of my house, inviting friends and family to join in our Christmas Spirit. Glass Santas and nativity figurines will fear for their lives every time the boys come near, or the cat walks through them and decides to nap on top of baby Jesus, or when the dog's tail wags dangerously close. Some will live to be packed away to see another year, some will go into the box of things that need superglued but we all know never will be, and some will get swept up in the dustpan, having given their all to carrying on the family traditions. And I will be so happy I had a six year old jumping around this last week of November asking when we were going to put up Christmas decorations. I want him to remember Christmas as a peaceful, joyful family time and I want his little brother's first big boy Christmas to be kid friendly and filled with pretty lights and wonder. And most importantly, that they will always know that Jesus is the reason for the season.