Christmas, when you think about it, can have a million meanings.

If you are a religious person, depending on your beliefs, it can mean a different thing than the rest of us. I know some people around the world don’t even celebrate Christmas.

We all have our preferences, but it seems no one understands the true meaning of the holidays. I mean I get it, everyone wants presents; we were taught as children that if you're good, this is your big reward at the end of the year.

My issue with this, though, is that holidays aren't just supposed to be about presents. During this time of year, everyone is getting some kind of time off to be with their loved ones.

So, why not enjoy it?

Gather around the fire and drink hot chocolate and eggnog. Get in the kitchen with your family, and bake and cook until all the kitchen counters are full.

Just in my opinion, don’t waste what precious time you do have with them because you never know when they may be gone. Don’t waste your time on petty feuds and stupid arguments because some day you’ll realize you never really cared about that at all.

For me, I learned a long time ago to cherish what time I had with certain family members, and when they're gone, to cherish the memories with the members we had left.

That day, when you wake and realize you no longer care about the gift, don’t get upset. For some, it might look like your world is upside down, but it’s not. In other words, you’ve “woken up and smelled the roses,” meaning you finally get and somewhat understand what these holidays were truly made for.

Now I know that not everyone is going to want to stop wanting and always thinking about the gifts. To be honest, sometimes I still get excited when I think about the gift I'll get on Christmas Day, but the difference is that if I didn’t get anything, I wouldn’t care. Some years, I truly wish for nothing, or if I do, it's a necessity.

Then there's the majority of those who celebrate Christmas like me who are religious. For us, the day may be about gifts and the celebration of family, but we also have to remember that for a lot of us, we believe in the Bible which says Jesus died on this day so that we could live.

So, not only are we celebrating like everyone else, we are celebrating the fact that we are even alive and well in the first place.