Where are you Christmas

Often as adults I think we find ourselves looking for that special spirit of Christmas. We get caught up in all the craziness.   No matter how many lights we put up or Christmas specials we watch it tends to evade us. Maybe it's because that childlike anticipation is tainted by exhaustion or lack of surprises. The world tries to tell us that Christmas is about families, and that's good but that is not what Christmas is really about.  It's about the birth of our Savior.  I think if we can remember what all the  symbols of Christmas stand for we could gain that spirit a little easier.
We see bows, trees, lights, Santa, candy canes and many more things that are symbols of Christmas but whose symbol of Christmas?  The World's or God's.
If we could all see the symbols for what they really are it would help us/me a little more.  ie; the lights that we coat our houses and trees in are to remember the star.  The candy canes are to remember the shepherds, and Santa himself is the symbol of Christ.
In reading one of my Christmas books there was a story of a family who were always exhausted by the time Christmas came around and vowed one year to have a sensible Christmas.  They finally got around to their sensible Christmas.  They drew names and each present could not cost more than a dollar. They didn't bake all the goodies or deliver treats to people and when Christmas day arrived they were very relaxed but left feeling unsatisfied.  The mother broke down and said what a horrible Christmas it was.  She knew that so and so down the street loved her treats and she didn't get any this year. As they talked about it the mother announces that "We can't afford to save on Christmas. . .  It shuts off the heart."  Another daughter rights a letter to her sister that reads "Mom feels, that the strains and stresses are the birth pangs of Christmas. . . I am certain that it is out of our efforts and tiredness and turmoil that some sudden, quiet, shining, priceless thing occurs each year and if all we produce is a feeling as long as a flicker, it is worth the bother."
That happened to be just what I needed to hear. Maybe if I can remember this next year that special spirit will arrive a little faster.