Day 160: The Meaning of Christmas

It's Christmas Eve, and honestly, it feels like Christmas should still be a week or two away. Without school as a marker, the holidays seem infinitely far away. And yet, tomorrow is Christmas Day.

I'm not really a religious person. I believe in God, but don't like Him. I'm Catholic but hate the current Pope. I worship the Saints more than the Trinity. I kind of think I'm the Catholic that Luther envisioned. Or I would be if I was a God fan. The point is, tomorrow has no great spiritual meaning to me.

But it's a day of family and friends. I think of Christmas like most people think of Valentine's Day. It's the time of year that you show people exactly how much you care. It's about good food and community and giving.

Today, I am grateful for:

• my brother and Amy being here for the holidays.
• the awesome book that Kelli gave me for Christmas.
• pumpkin chocolate marble cake for dessert after my mom's chicken and dumplings.
• Phil liking his gift.
• the sound of my whole family laughing together.