Day 12: Thankfulness

Wish 12: Undying Appreciation

When I was six, I came to a very shocking realization. The baby born on Christmas Day was the same person who was nailed to a cross!

(I think it's that same realization for our kids when they discover cute Annakin Skywalker was going to become a mean Darth Vader. But the stories aren't related, by the way. I'm just emphasizing that childhood realization.)

I think it takes a while to develop the long-term memory about Christmas, and then put two and two together. But anyway, why was this innocent baby going to sacrifice a painful death? And we all know, it was for our redemption. If Jesus did that for me, I should be thankful.

So, we celebrate Christmas, and remember the Passion of Christ at the appropriate times. These and other celebrations are there to remind us about being thankful for everything that we have today. Thankfulness is not limited to Thanksgiving Day.

And yet, we will see children who are not satisfied with their new gifts on Christmas morning. We will see people who curse others for their predicament. We will see politicians take for granted the sacrifices of soldiers who are fighting to protect our freedom.

As we know, we are born as selfish babies - demanding food and attention, because it is part of our survival. But along the way, our parents or guardians teach us about unselfishness and appreciation. We learn three things: "please", "thank you" and "I'm sorry". A person who doesn't know how to say "Thank You" likely doesn't know the other two either.

Saying thank you, and thinking thank you, are good for our soul. We should appreciate what we have, and make the most of it. When we appreciate what people have done for us, they will do more for us. And maybe we will do more for others too.

My wish is for parents and guardians to keep teaching selfish little minds about appreciation. There are people who appreciate many things because they have nothing. It should not take a desperate situation like that for our loved ones to learn about appreciation.