dear pratt.

dear pratt,

there are so many things on my mind. i'm unsure of where to start.

i haven't been sleeping well at night. i don't know why. well, there are many possible reasons...and i guess it doesn't really matter what the reason is. but i say that to say that i've had a lot of time to think lately. just laying in mine and dad's room, in the bed...thinking.

thinking about you. about your dad. about our big, extended family. about my friends. about everyone really.

last night i was fixated on all the kids in our community that will wake up christmas morning with no presents. i get this from poppy. come december first, he starts flipping out. seriously. he begins to turn inward. gets a little more quiet. can't watch/hear about/talk about anything remotely sad.

i'm afraid that this is going to be genetic. and well, with a name like "pratt", i've pretty much doomed you to this behavior. gosh, i'm sorry.

as you get older, you will realize that christmas has nothing to do with presents. or fancy paper. or food. or stockings. or trees. or lights.

but everything to do with God's gift to us...

for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. john 3:16

i came across something that i liked. and maybe you will too.

let me say now, that i found this. i am in NO way responsible for it. i've tweaked it a little, but it was not my original creation. i've, in fact, never had an original thought. honestly, i haven't. maybe you will. i hope so.

okay.

the tree. apparently the fur tree remains green year-round. unless i'm in charge of watering it, and then it becomes brown and dead on bottom. but that's a whole 'nother story. the fir tree is supposed to remain green year round. which depicts the everlasting hope of mankind. also, the needles point towards the heavens. reminding us that our thoughts should always turn in that direction.

the star. God promised a Savior for the world. and the star was the fulfillment of that promise.

the candle. God is the light of the world. He displaces any and all darkness.

the wreath. real loves never ceases. God is love. and much like the wreath, there is no beginning or end to God's love for us.

santa claus. santa merely represents the generosity and good will that we feel during the christmas season. but he in no way takes God's place.

gifts. of course these are a representation of the only gift that matters. baby Jesus.

the angel at the top of the tree. the angels were the first to tell of the good news. the good news of Jesus being born.

and finally, the bell. in biblical times (and i assume now) lost sheep were found by ringing a bell. they would come back to the shepherd when they heard the bell. this is symbolic for us. we are the lost sheep. the bell symbolizes guidance and return.

so at christmas time, when we are bombarded with decorations. food. and things that don't seem to have anything in the world to do with the real meaning of christmas...maybe these few things will help you to always remember that our greatest gift was tiny baby Jesus. laying in the manger.

one last piece of advice, always give of yourself. as poppy told me in that wonderful long letter he wrote me on may fifth, 2001.

always do good for others. it is in doing good for other people, those less fortunate than yourself, that you will find true happiness.

wise poppy. he is so right.

i love you little man. i'm so lucky to be your mommy.

xoxo.

ps. here you are..giving of yourself. feeding yoda. oh how i love you.