Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. But ever since grief entered my life, it has definitely not the same. It has more become a time of deep reflection, where I feel a lot of both joy and sorrow. A few years ago I had a particularly dismal Christmas. We were grieving our second miscarriage, dealing with the possibility of infertility, and also dealing with the loss of a very dear relationship. I was glad when the holiday was over. 
But since that time, my husband and I have been blessed with a little boy, and my brother and sister-in-law have been blessed with two – so now there are little children to think of at holiday times, and it has helped me look beyond myself. Instead of getting caught up in my own sad reflections, as I have a tendency to do, I now try to make it a joyful time for our son and look forward to spending the holiday with family. It has made all the difference.
Seeing the joy of children, especially at holiday time, is really wonderful and refreshing. I am so glad there are children in our family now, whom we can celebrate with and enjoy the holidays with. I am glad we can share holiday traditions with the next generation. Traditions like my mom’s famous monkey bread on Christmas morning, baking gingerbread and biscochitos, and listening to my favorite Christmas carols.
And perhaps most poignant of all is the deeper understanding of Christmas I cherish. My family celebrates and remembers this holiday for a reason that is special to us, when Jesus was born into this world and grew up as a human child. He was born into a poor family, he was born amidst pitiful conditions, without even a lot of basic necessities – and the joy of that moment was so great, that heaven could not contain it. What a wonderful reason to remember and celebrate!
