“Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall.” ~ Larry Wilde
I recall the first year we put up our Christmas tree after our newest family member, Mac Doodle (a Goldendoodle puppy) arrived. Mac was a less than 1-year-old, 70-pound “puppy” – a virtual bouncing ball of fur–who had more energy and curiosity than my 2-year-old grandson. As we brought out our Christmas decorations, Mac was beyond delighted with the many possibilities that lie waiting for him in all the unfamiliar sights, colors and fragrances. He was ecstatic – and we had not yet put up the Christmas tree. In an instant Diane and I had a shared vision of what our home would look like with a fallen Christmas tree, ornaments and gifts spread throughout every room in the house, and we began laughing. Time for Plan B.
We decided to buy a small 3-foot tree and place it on a table out of Mac’s reach. I have to admit; it took a few days to get used to having a tabletop tree. Traditionally, we had always placed our gifts under the tree, but this year there was no room on the table to do so. In its diminutive size, the tree just didn’t quite feel as “Christmasy.” It surely didn’t measure up to the spectacular trees I have enjoyed over the years, and I was beginning to think I would miss the grandeur of the Christmas “feeling” in our home.
“Remember, if Christmas isn’t found in your heart, you won’t find it under a tree.” ~ Charlotte Carpenter
It was then that I considered the deeper meaning and purpose of having presents and a tree at all. After some self-inquiry, the awareness that came to me is that it wasn’t really about the size or location of the tree. Irrespective of its stature and where we placed it in our home, the Christmas tree, with its beautiful trim and bright lights, was a symbol, an external reminder of an internal and eternal truth. That truth is much greater than any gift that could fit under the tree; it is the birth of the awareness of the Christ’s presence being manifest in the world in and through each of us; it is the birth of the true Christmas spirit as unconditional love. One of my teachers, Dr. Ernest Holmes, embellished this point when he wrote:
“Christmas is for remembrance. The love manifesting through our gifts to each other typifies the offering of Life, the givingness of Spirit to its creation. The hands of the Eternal are outstretched through our hands, and the heart of the Infinite beats in the human breast. But the giver must give of himself, for ‘The gift without the giver is bare’. It is not, then, in lavish gifts we find true giving but in the sweet simplicity of remembrance, in the kindly thought, the tolerant mind and the gentle act. Love alone can give love, sympathy alone can sympathize and only goodness can really do or be good. When heart speaks to heart, a divine conversation has taken place, a heavenly discourse. Each of us has something to give. Let each see that he gives of his best. If we are bringing our gifts to the altar of love, nothing less than the best will be acceptable. Nothing less than all is enough. May the real spirit of Christmas–the giving of self to life enter and abide in you now and through all time.”
I am grateful that Mac Doodle came into my life that Christmas. Perhaps the greatest Christmas “present” any of us can give this year invites us to extend ourselves far beyond the material; it isn’t the size of the tree or the presents we offer; it is the intangible gift of our mindful presence…our compassion…our time…our respect…our generosity of spirit and our remembrance that it is the Love born this season we celebrate all year long. This is the most exquisite offering of all; how you share it with your world is the gift you give back to the giver of all life this Christmas season.
Peace & Blessings, Dennis
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