For the Love of Our Children

I am thinking about all of the parents out there this Christmas Eve who are hard at work like Santa's elves--putting together train tables, bicycles and dollhouses. These are the true heroes of Christmas.

They are faced with an impossibly huge number of pieces, parts and hardware . . .


As they work through their projects, they slog through instructions written in a limited English translation from Korean, Japanese or Chinese.


But when they are done--they are so proud and so excited by the thought of the sheer amazement on their children's faces as they bound down the stairs on Christmas morning to find whatever "Santa" has left for them.


And so they are the unsung heroes--for all of the credit goes to the jolly man in the red suit. But that's OK--because the pure joy on my husband's face, and on the faces of parents everywhere as they finish putting together these gifts, is truly priceless.

(And don't forget the cookies for Santa, and the carrots for his reindeer!)

Have a very Merry Christmas, everyone!