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Show High Time Christmas Is So Many Things By FLORENCE BITTNER Christmas is a month of hurry. CHRISTMAS is getting up in the dark and coming home in the dark. Christmas is store aisles crowded; traffic backed up at parking places. CHRISTMAS is decorations in the business district and flocked trees in unexpected places. Christmas is bundles and packages in closets. CHRISTMAS is the rustle of paper and "don't come in here." Christmas is lists; what I want and gifts to buy, and long grocery lists. CHRISTMAS is children fussing because it takes so long. Christmas is parties and dining out. CHRISTMAS is stacks of mail. Christmas is the same songs played and sung everywhere. CHRISTMAS is a special smell in the house. Christmas is the good times before the bills come in. CHRISTMAS is deciding to trim the Christmas card list and not being able to leave anyone off. Christmas is homemade I candy. I CHRISTMAS is children large-eyed and believing. I Christmas is older children , who swagger in their new ' knowledge about Santa Claus 1 while secretly envying the little ones who still believe. ! CHRISTMAS is mother ; sewing far into the night. 1 Christmas is silent night, ' holy night. J CHRISTMAS is dad coming ! home tired but finding the I energy to take the little ones one more time to see Santa 1 Claus. ' Christmas is candles and holly wreaths on the living room table. ! CHRISTMAS is reading J again the story in Luke. Christmas is fruit cake and ' popcorn balls. CHRISTMAS is visits from ', friends we only see some-t some-t times. i Christmas is pictures of mothers and babes and ! cradles and mangers. - .4- CHRISTMAS is lights on houses which turn city streets into fairy land. Christmas is pine needles on the carpet. CHRISTMAS is for families. Christmas is camels and Wise men and one bright star. CHRISTMAS is watching the story of a Christmas Carol on television. Again. Christmas is visits to grandma and grandpa and uncles and aunts and cousins. CHRISTMAS is a very special feeling in heart and home. Christmas is going to bed on Christmas Eve knowing there won't be any sleep. CHRISTMAS is little voices calling "Can we get up now?' . Christmas is wonder and awe and sincere worship in individual hearts. CHRISTMAS is hearing again and again the old, old story and loving it more each time. Christmas is bedlam when the children come into the room where Santa Claus really came. CHRISTMAS is any one of these. Put them all together and the sum makes an un-mistakeable un-mistakeable day in a very special season we celebrate for a very special reason. Christmas is one grand annual an-nual birthday party, with the invited guest whom we honor present in equal proportions to the love in the home. CHRISTMAS, after all, is only love made manifest. |