I remember growing up Christmas was always my favorite time of year. I looked forward to leaving out cookies and going to bed early for Santa to come. My sister and I always raced to the living room the second we woke up to snoop around our stocking and shake up the presents we found waiting for us under the tree. Then we would do everything in our power to drag mom and dad out of bed as if there was some unwritten rule that gifts could only be opened when our parents are in the room. Many of my past Christmases have been documented in detail on an old video camera. One of the funniest videos on record happened at my Memaw's house when I was around 4 or 5 years old. I opened a gift from my great aunt and uncle, and evidently I must have thought it was the ugliest thing in the world because the look on my face as I glanced into the camera was priceless- as though I had seen something no one should ever have to see. I turned to my gift-givers with a big smile and thanked them despite the unwanted gift, trying to act as though it was what I really wanted.

A hilarious video has been circulating on Facebook the past few years and it portrays a little boy opening something probably no kid has ever wanted: an avocado. He unwraps the gift and says "It's a avocado! Thanks!" with the cutest smile on his face. Whatever happened to that Christmas spirit?

Over the years, Christmas became the time of year where I could ask my parents (R.I.P. Santa) for something I knew they wouldn't just get me any random time of the year. I would ask for things like iPods, video games, clothes, you name it. However, the past few years the meaning of Christmas has become something different for me.

Last Christmas (queue the famous song about love and heartbreak and giving your heart to someone new) I was in love. I didn't care what gifts I was getting (especially since I knew I was going to college soon so I didn't want to completely drain my parent's paycheck) I mean, there may have been a few things on my list, but all I really cared about was getting to spend time with that special someone. For the first time I felt I could relate to songs like "All I Want For Christmas Is You." I was so excited at the prospect of kissing my significant other under the mistletoe and I put so much thought into the perfect gift and letter to write him that he could keep for years to come. We went to a Christmas concert together and saw some lights. Everything felt so perfect. He had actually gotten me probably the most romantic (but un-original) gift ever- a teapot just like Jim got Pam on "The Office". In it was a letter typed up on a typewriter and of course he got me a few other things, but there's no need to go into detail. Of course, I spent time with my family and enjoyed my break from school, but my highlight was being in love with someone who reciprocated the feeling. I was young, about to graduate high school, still had a lot of maturing to do, and basically, it was the perfect Christmas I could've ever imagined.

This year, I went into the holiday season having just gone through a tough break up with that one who made my Christmas a real-life Hallmark movie the year before (needless to say, I absolutely avoid those cheesy, unrealistic holiday romance movies at all costs). That lovey-dovey dream of the holiday that I had last year became a painful memory that stayed in the back of my mind. I couldn't bare to hear the romantic songs I used to sing and I replaced them with sad songs like "Blue Christmas" and "Winter Song" because Christmas wasn't Christmas anymore without "love".

But then one night, I realized the "love" I missed so terribly had never left. The romantic side of it and my "significant other" was gone, sure, but my family and friends were still around. It occurred to me that I don't need to be the Grinch who stole Christmas this year. Being Scrooge was going to take way too much work, and it is completely unnecessary. I decided to actually think about the original and true meaning of Christmas that the bible spells out for us in John 3:16:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

I'm not going to take the time to tell the Nativity story and about the shepherds and the angels and all of that, but instead just thinking about that act of love that God demonstrated for whoever believes in Him. Wow.

So, instead of moping around about not getting that kiss under the mistletoe, I am going to spend this year in great thanks to my God for loving me so much more than I could ever be loved by anyone on this earth. I am going to spend time with the people that I barely get to see anymore because I am away at college. I am going to be thankful for the gifts that I get even if they aren't something I really want, and I am going to take the time to thank my friends and family for being here for me despite my mistakes and ever-changing life.

Plus, Christmas is the only time of year that it's acceptable to sleep all day and drink more than one cup of hot chocolate in an hour, so might as well at least try and make it decent.