Do you remember what it was like to experience Christmas as a child?

For some of us, that was quite a long time ago, but we’re guessing most people, if they take the time to think about it, will remember the magic of the holiday season. Of course, for some people, the magic has never left them.

For many of us as children, Christmas was a time of wonder and excitement. But then as we grew older, that feeling somehow got lost. Maybe the pressures and responsibilities that come with adulthood stole our innocent sense of excitement. Perhaps hurts or losses robbed us of the joy we used to feel this time of year. Or maybe we let the cares of the world weigh us down to the point where it became difficult to see how anything positive could come out of the circumstances we found ourselves in.

There can certainly be some legitimate reasons why people no longer feel that Christmas joy, but we also believe there is still the promise of a better tomorrow. We continue to believe that Christmas can be a time of hope, love, joy, and peace.

For some of us, the best way to recapture that childhood excitement might be to unplug. Maybe we need to get off of social media for a while or stop listening to the political vitriol that seems to be dragging us down, day after day. Sometimes the best way we can find that joy and peace is to tune out those negative distractions and, instead, focus on what is right about this world. It’s out there if we take the time to look for it.

Another way to feel joy is to share the Christmas experience with others. For many people, that means gathering with family and friends, to relive old memories and create some new ones. Sometimes you find yourself alone at Christmas, but there are still opportunities to gather with others, whether it’s at a local church service or something like attending one of the several community Christmas dinners around our area.

Searching for newfound joy and hope of this Christmas season doesn’t mean all of our troubles will go away, but it may just give us a new perspective about what matters, and also remind us of the fact that we indeed are a blessed people, despite our current circumstances. If it comes down to living a life of hope or despair, we choose hope — every time.

For those of you who may be having a hard time remembering what it was like to see Christmas through the eyes of a child, I encourage you to look for hope and light even in the darkness, and as it turns out at Christmastime, it’s kinda everywhere. The love and magic are there if you believe with an open heart.

Wishing you a magical Christmas.