That first blink of consciousness;

Soon you are overwhelmed with the smells of hot chocolate boiling over the stove,

the cinnamon and vanilla scented candle funneling through your nose.

You inch down the stairs, extremely eager yet subtle.

Your head peeps around the wall and you catch a glance of the multitude of presents.

Your heart racing, seeming as it will explode, you round the corner and dart to the tree

This tree is no regular tree;

its ornaments of sentimental and family value warms your heart

Too overcome with excitement, you rip open your presents to find the new ballet shoes

you have always wished for

Inside the gift comes a letter from Santa, handwritten and everything.

You boast, “Look, Mom!” and shove the letter in her face.

Christmas like this was the highlight of your childhood,

Cookie baking, present wrapping, movie watching,

All events we imagined to be infinite,

All things we held on so tangibly to.

Now you wake up Christmas morning with a little less spark,

You want to sleep in and become overwhelmed by the lack of enthusiasm you carry

The only present you ask for is money,

To buy unnecessary things that won’t satisfy your needs.

But what we must remember is that

The true meaning of this holiday is not the material means

It is not to decorate the tree with fancy trinkets,

And it is certainly not just to get some cash.

There should be no reason to feel so down,

The fact that you are growing, learning new things, becoming a new person,

Should humble you to turn that frown upside down,

And keep in mind the reason for the season.

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