Was I telling myself a story?

"I often wonder if the childhood memories I have of our family Christmas were really as magical as I remember. They are epic in my brain--storybook perfection. And I wonder if maybe there were tears or maybe there was fighting or maybe there weren't a thousand presents like I swear there was. But there is no convincing me it wasn't perfect."

The quote about reminds me of myself. And my brother Jeff. We all have these amazing memories of what our family Christmas was really like growing up. So, naturally, Christmas is our favorite holiday and we spend so much time and energy trying to make it just as perfect as it was the year prior. We both want our kids (his current, my bun-in-the-oven) to be excited and love Christmas as much as we did growing up (and still do). When, really, we are just competing with the ideas from childhood memories. Was it, indeed, that perfect? Or, in the words of a wise woman, was I just telling myself a story?

Either way, Christmas brings with it a special kind of magic. Magic that makes worries disappear, anxieties fade away, differences seem less important and people get along...even if it's just for a day. This year, especially, I look forward to all Christmas has to offer.