in what is now three christmas seasons in utah, i had never gone to see the lights on temple square, until last week. the board i serve on at the ywca (it's like the ymca but for girls, and with less basketball) took some of the moms from the teen home at the y. to "the square" to celebrate the season. it was, to say the least, bitter cold (luckily i was wearing leggings under my pants), but the girls were total troopers and we saw every light in that place. the girls especially loved listening to a recitation of the nativity story in front of the nativity scene. and i especially loved being with them. temple square was absolutely crawling with people, mostly rambunctious teenagers (some people's children, i tell ya), but it still felt like stepping away from it all. the season sort of crept up on me this year (don't we say that every year?) and this was the first chance i had to stop and think about christmas and what it means to me: a time to open my heart just a little bit more to family, friends and, most importantly, to christ. a time to let myself be changed, even just a little bit, by the love i receive so freely from family, friends and, most importantly, christ. and a time to show that same love to others as much as i can. it was a simple realization, and a simple night, but i think it will go down as one of my favorite christmas memories.
after the lights, we went back to the teen home for some much needed hot chocolate, and some delicious cookies. you know those cookies they have at the grocery store, those sugar cookies with a thick slab of season-appropriate frosting? i love those. the girls were so excited in the van on the way home, talking about their kids and what they would get them for christmas, and it was so fun to watch them be moms, and to play with the little ones ourselves. like i said, a new favorite christmas memory.
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