November second should be a national holiday. You can make fun of me all you want, but when I take that first sip of my caramel brulée latte that is only available 59 days of the entire year, I couldn’t be happier. 

Christmas time makes that latte taste a lot better than it really is only because I get to carry around a red cup as I stroll up and down each aisle in Target. I take my time smelling the new sugar cookie candles, wandering around the five-dollar section trying to convince myself not to buy the sign that says “Christmas trees for sale.” I get lost in the toy section, looking at the Legos and thinking, “Would it be absolutely silly to add this to my Christmas list?” 

Christmas time makes night drives around Minneapolis so magical. Don’t get me wrong, I love driving around and blasting music on any ordinary Tuesday night. But when the snow coming down envelopes your car in a winter wonderland, it’s hard to not convince yourself that you are the main character in a Hallmark movie. I feel a different kind of joy looking at the blue and white Christmas lights that make a normal two-story cookie-cutter house look so sweet and cozy while Michael Bublé sings “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” in the background. 

Christmas time makes early mornings the best part of my day. I love waking up to freshly fallen snow covering the ground. I love putting on my slippers, making my morning coffee and then sitting on my couch with a fuzzy blanket wrapped around me while I read my advent devotional. I love going through my closet and picking out a pretty sweater even though I’ve worn a sweater every day that week. It’s just different this time of year. 

Christmas time has a way of making the ordinary, mundane, everyday things a lot more magical. I don’t know if it’s because strangers suddenly feel the need to say hello to everyone they pass by. I don’t know if it’s because everyone is thankful that it’s not 100 degrees and humid outside. I don’t know if it’s because people are thinking about their loved ones, Christmas gifts and good food. But there’s something so sweet about this time of year. 

It never gets old. I’ve celebrated Christmas 19 years in a row and yet every year it seems more special than the last. I know that on Christmas Eve I’ll be going to my grandparents’ house to eat the same turkey bagel sandwiches and chocolate drop cookies that we have every year. Our family will sit in the living room and wait for each grandchild to open their presents in order of youngest to oldest (and I’m the oldest out of ten). Then on Christmas day I’ll eat monkey bread and drink coffee while I search the house for clues that lead to where my presents were hidden by my dad. It’s the same thing every year, yet every year is better than the last. What is it about Christmas that makes it so special? 

I hope that you never lose your childlike innocence during this time of year. I hope that Starbucks holiday drinks make your day a little sweeter. I hope that you carry on your family traditions with your kids someday. I hope that you pack into cars and go find the “perfect” Christmas tree that has just enough character to fit into your home. I hope you never forget the meaning of Christmas. And I hope the ordinary things never lose their magic during this time of year.