Blog Swap - Let Your Hearts Be Light - Chambanachik

This is my second year in a row participating in the milspouse holiday blog swap. Big thanks to Riding the Roller Coaster for hosting this awesome swap. I always have so much fun trading blogs with some of my favorite bloggers. This year, I have gotten the fabulous Chambanachik (you're so awesome!!) to blog for me. I am so excited to have her here and I just know you will enjoy her post as much as I have! You can leave a comment here or over at her blog to leave her some love!

Oh - I totally forgot!! To see my post in this awesome swap, head over to G.I. Joe's Wife where I got the pleasure of posting on her awesome blog!!


Without further ado, Erika of Chambanachik's post:


Her eyes shine brighter than any lights on the Christmas tree. She draws in a big breath and points at
the red and green decorations in wonder. She's "no more than two" like Cindy Lou Who- 17 months to
be exact- but Millie takes in the glory of the holidays with more excitement and joy than anyone I've
seen.

Everyone has heard it preached that we should see things through the eyes of a child. And it always
seems a little trite, a little stale, a little recycled to me. Once my daughter came into the world, I
realized what a beautiful concept it really is. My favorite Christmas song, "Have Yourself a Merry
Little Christmas", has the line ,"Let your heart be light." Millie's found the secret to a light heart, I
think.

When I was young, I remember the scent of Christmas cookies would fill the house. I remember
helping my mom stir the batter, and decorating them with icing that stained my fingers. I remember
pulling out ornaments from dusty boxes that smelled like our attic, and turning them over to see what
year I had made them. We helped each other string the big, multicolored lights around the tree, and
Dad would lift one of us up to put the angel at the top. We'd sneak a candy cane here and there, and
deny it if we were caught. We would shake presents for any clues of what they might be. We would
spend hours in snow forts and come inside to homemade hot chocolate.

And just like my parents must have had, our family has bills that we worrying about paying. We have
the stress of getting everything done before the holidays. We are tired after a long day at work or
household chores. A recipe doesn't come out right. A present hoped for won't be bought. A snowfall
interferes with plans. Something goes wrong, and the hopes of the holidays make it seem even more
upsetting than usual.

But Millie doesn't see any of this, just as I didn't see it when I was little. She sees the beauty of the
paper chain hung high and snowflakes taped to her window. She's oblivious to the number of presents
under the tree, or what brand they are, or how much they cost. She hopes for a taste of sugar cookies.
She is thrilled with the Christmas lights everywhere we go. She's content with the family she has
around her. She sees only good things.

There's a line from famous story “A Christmas Carol” by Dickens that reads,“I will honor Christmas in
my heart, and try to keep it all year.” And maybe it isn't possible to do that, although my heart would
like to think so. But we all have this one day each year that has a chance to be magical if we let it. The
stress and worries can wait.

Let this day be a day of joy.