BE IT inside homes in front of the decorated Christmas tree, at the well-lit parks with multi-colored lanterns, or inside the shopping malls booming with carol after Christmas carol, nothing else can beat witnessing the inspiring image and joyful laughter of children at Christmas time.
And if one were to observe closely the celebrations of grownups during this time of the year, they regrettably pale in comparison to the unabashedly pure and innocent displays of the same by children during this yuletide season. While the adults’ path to celebrating Christmas is marked with preplanning and therefore the result of deliberate activity, the children are free of that load. As such, the infectious joy coming from them is indeed nothing but spontaneous.
I have become aware of a few who say generally, children’s view of Christmas is bereft of its true meaning; detached from the religious celebration concerning Christ’s birth. What’s more, some are even skeptical that children can truly comprehend the particular teaching that Jesus being born into the world was to eventually save us from our sins.
Too abstract for any young mind, they say. Dwelling on this further, as one cynic friend, and a true Grinch at that, puts it, the tots’ simple take on this significant event of the Christian world spearheaded by us adults and broadcasted by media, is that it’s that time of year when they receive gifts and favors from peers and doting adults. Also, never mind the concept of giving gifts; what’s more important is you will get something in return.
However, as disputable as these may all seem, it is best not to forget these are nothing but personal opinions really. So, the best way is to treat it as one ear and out the other thingy. During one instance, when I at the beginning, shared the idea to a deeply religious acquaintance, she had almost pulled all the hair from my head and branded the whole notion as highly blasphemous.
Let’s not allow all these senseless opinions to take away the fact that without a doubt, there’s always something wonderful in seeing a child happy at Christmas that tugs at the heartstrings. If not for anything else, let’s try keeping all other interpretations to ourselves and just be content in saying Christmas time is for children, period. Let them enjoy it at their own pace without us dictating to them what it means to us.
