“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!”
Dr. Seuss
Almost every year around Christmas, we make Christmas cookies. Some of our favorite Christmas memories are when we decorate too many (Mom’s opinion, not ours) sugar cookies. In the past, we’ve invited friends over and ate too many cookies, drank too much cocoa, and turned the Christmas carols up too loud. These memories are really special to us, and not just because of the cookies. Several hours of fun, bonding time with friends and family; this, unlike many other parts of the holiday season, cannot be bought at the store. These are precious moments of time when even the smallest acts of kindness show how much love you have for the people around you.
Making Christmas cookies takes time, a valuable resource in your life. By giving up that time to make cookies for your friends and family, it shows how much you love them, and you didn’t need to buy them fancy presents. The cookies come from your heart. That is what the Grinch learned at the end of the story; even after he stole their presents, the Whos still sang together, expressing their love for one another. And, our love for each other (and our love for cookies) is the best gift we can give or receive.
Laurel Vernon *with an assist from Elise Vernon
