It was the whole family going together for a walk in the woods to discuss, compare, argue a little, fall into snowbanks and finally choose a tree that was important. When I asked them what was important about the Christmas Eve feast, the children didn't say that afterwards we open presents. They didn't say that the meal was important because it is a traditional and delicious Ukranian twelve dish meatless meal. What they remembered was the laughter and the love of their family that surrounds them as we sit and eat. I started out wondering what my children had learned from our celebrations of Christmas and I found that while they may not have a sense of the glorious mystery of the Incarnation and the tremendous gift of the Holy Infant, they did have a very clear understanding of the central message of Christmas.
Children know love, it's their first language.
It is always the most important thing in their lives, to feel the love of their family. As parents we speak love to our children and to each other when we work, and play, and celebrate together as a family. And we allow the children to speak love to us when we make it possible for them to work, and play, and celebrate along with us. They won't care if everything gets done or not. They do care if we're too busy to let them help.