I love everything about Christmas–the celebrations, food, decorations, crowded malls, gift giving and shopping with my mom.
One Christmas season years ago, my mom and I had a mother-daughter day date. It was our annual Christmas lunch and then shopping and more shopping. We stopped at a little shop where they sold Christmas decorations and ornaments.
While gazing at all the beautiful ornaments, my mom picked up a tear-shaped glass ornament. She held it up toward the light and saw the colored rainbow filter through the cut glass.
She mentioned how pretty it was, but when she looked at the price, she put it back down on the shelf. I told her to buy it, but she thought it was too expensive. It was seven dollars. When she wasn't looking, I bought it for her.
We laughed when she opened the little glass tear-shaped ornament at Christmas, and I teased her over her concern about the price.
She loved that gift. Not so much because it sparkled the colors of the rainbow, but because I made the effort to buy something she noticed and liked. Our other presents we bought her, even the more expensive ones, didn't compare to it.
Years later when I shut the door to my mom’s home for the last time, there on her front door window hung the tear shaped glass ornament and it sparkled the colors of the rainbow on the wall as the sun hit it.
I never noticed it hanging there before until that day. Probably because we were rushing back and forth from the hospital each day after she had her surgery, a surgery she didn’t survive.
I looked at it for few moments and slowly took it off the hook and kissed it as the tears ran down my face. The tear-shaped glass Christmas ornament now sits on my fireplace mantel all year long.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the Christmas stuff that doesn’t matter. Here are my few thoughts on how to connect with your teen without spending a lot of money:
1. Create memories and traditions with your daughter or granddaughter. Make mother-daughter dates even if she doesn’t want to go. She will remember those sweet times with you.
2. Give up buying multiple expensive gifts. Pick one gift that your teen really wants for Christmas and then buy inexpensive fun gifts that she’ll remember in the years to come.
3. Adopt a needy family for Christmas. Ask your local church if there are families who need help with Christmas gifts. Teach your daughter to give to others. She’ll experience the joy in giving.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. (Matthew 2:10)
