How many of you are counting down until Christmas? Why are you so excited? Is it because of the gifts, or are you more excited about spending time with your loved ones? I think that Christmas – like every other holiday – has been commercialized. What was once a religious holiday is now a business.

Many centuries ago there was a bishop from Asia Minor called St. Nicholas. He was a noble man who helped the poor, and did so anonymously. Somehow the story of St. Nicholas got tied in with the celebration of the birth of Christ, which was decided to be December 25th.

Over time, St. Nicholas was transformed into today’s Santa Clause, and because the US is always trying to make money, the holiday has lost its original meaning. Gifts are great, and there’s no doubt that everyone loves getting them, but I think spending time with loved ones is more important. Perhaps it’s because I’m older.

Celebrating life and the fact that my family is all together makes me happy. When I was younger we used to all get together as a big family and have dinner, have a good time together, and open presents (of course). However, things changed, and unfortunately, members of my family have separate dinners. I usually try to spend time with all of them, but it’s hard.

I think that the holidays should be about bonding and creating memories in order to have wonderful stories to tell our children and grandchildren. Keep that in mind when you see your relatives during the holidays. Make the most of the time you spend with them. Be happy. Enjoy life. Enjoy each other. Life isn’t a guarantee; you don’t know how much longer you have to spend with someone.

-Erica