I’ll be honest, I busted out the Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin/Sammy Davis Jr. Christmas album in September. I love Christmas, but I don’t love it because I get gifts from friends and family, I don’t love it because I get to spend days at a time baking cookies, I don’t love it because it’s acceptable to sing "White Christmas" any time I like or even because "Elf" and "Home Alone" are played on the television on repeat. I love Christmas because it reminds me of how beautiful the world is and how beautiful humanity can be. I truly believe that this season brings out the best in people. Temperatures rapidly fall (sometimes snow does too), days grow shorter and hearts grow at least three sizes.

My family has shared many wonderful traditions in the weeks preceding Christmas, on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Not everyone shares tradition but most everyone shares joy. The happiness that this season brings is my favorite type of happiness. This happiness is from something so much deeper than what we can see. People anticipate Christmas as soon as Dec. 26...

for some it takes a month or two, for others Halloween and Thanksgiving must pass for the excitement to arrive in their hearts. Regardless of how long it takes for that to rise, there is still an unbelievable amount of anticipation and excitement that erupts into joy and love that cannot help but be spread far and wide. The happiness that accompanies the holiday season stems from the joy that our hearts receive when we begin to plan the perfect gift for our mother, when we decide on the perfect time and place for a Christmas date with our significant other, when we pack our bags to visit family we haven’t seen in months, when we start saving to shop for all the lovely gifts we can’t wait to wrap in love, and most importantly when we remember how good it feels to give and how good it feels to be surrounded by love and the people we love.

The joy that comes from giving is the most beautiful kind of joy, because that joy doesn’t fade quickly. We are able to continue seeing the happiness we have brought someone with a gift, or a plate full of homemade cookies, or a heartfelt card we’ve spent hours on in order to choose the perfect message and use our best handwriting. The joy that comes from the deepest anticipation we hold all year is so hard to get elsewhere. For me the best part of waking up on Christmas Day isn’t the gifts my hands can’t wait to tear open, it’s waking up my siblings and my parents and hugging my dog letting them all know how much I love them and reminding them of how happy we should be on that day. I don’t get the most joy when I’ve opened my gifts and can try on my clothes or test my new coffee machine. I get the most joy when I can hug my parents and thank them endlessly for the things they have given me, not only the presents but the shelter, the food, the love and the care they have poured upon me for years on end. All of this brings so much more joy to my heart than any gift could. My heart feels full when I can give, and my heart feels full when I can express gratitude.

This year, remember to give. Give to the man on the street asking for your help, give to the kid in your neighborhood that doesn’t ever seem to have anyone to play with, give to your parents who have given to you since before you were born, give to your family that will always support you, give to your significant other that loves you more than you can understand, give to your mentors that guide you, give to your best friend who knows you better than you know yourself and most importantly give to the man who gave it all in order for us to celebrate this day in the way that we do. Celebrate the birth of a Savior, celebrate the greatest gift humanity as a whole has ever received, Jesus Christ. Give Him everything by means of giving to others as He always has.

Merry Christmas!