Santa, all I want is for my son to be well

Christmas has always been a special time for me. Not only because this is the day that my Savior was born but it is also the time that I feel most like a child again. As we grow older, our innocence gets tainted and our needs become so overwhelming that the idea of Christmas gets lost in the hustle and bustled. My family and I went to the mall on Sunday and boy what a crazy place to be especially when you have a little boy who just wants to run free. Ethan wanted to walk around but the mall was packed and people were in a hurry. I’m so glad that my children don’t ask for much, otherwise, I’d be one of those folks who looked like a deer staring into headlights of an oncoming car!

I teach my children that Christmas is not just about receiving or even giving gifts but it’s about the moments that they could carry on for the rest of their lives. It’s been so many years but I still remember my favorite Christmas moments that I shared with my cousins, Tram (Jessica) and Ba (Anh), and my sister, Martha. What I remember of this special Christmas was that we got all dressed up in our long dresses and had dinner at my Aunt Mai’s apartment in Reston. We received a life size doll that we just were so thrilled to have. What I loved was the fact that we got all dressed in our best for Christmas Eve and shared dinner with our family. As I reflect back to that day, it almost seems that life was just perfect. For me, I was a child at that moment without any worries or responsibilities or troubles…just innocence and joy.

Now, another memory that I loved was our pretending to be someone…one, my cousins, my sister, and I pretended to “ice” skate around the apartment with our socks on. We pretended to be one of the skaters ~ Peggy Fleming and Dorathy Hamill and that we were stars. Another time, we played princesses…Cinderalla, Snow White, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), and Rapunzel (I think?). These are some of the moments that I still treasure, all great memories without having to spend any money. So you see; I may be one of the few folks who still believe that money doesn’t buy happiness. I hope that my children will make memories that will bring them joy as they grow.

All that I ever wanted was to have my own family. I wanted so many children but I’m blessed with two. I have three wishes for Christmas this year. My wish for Christmas is for Ethan to stay healthy. He’s been really sick and I thought that as Ethan grow, he would build up his immune system but that hasn’t been the case. I just want my baby boy to be able to breathe freely and for him to be healthy and strong. My second wish is for Marisa to know how proud we are of her. I wish that she would realize how much we believe in her and that if she really tries, she could accomplish anything. My third wish is for my husband to know how thankful I am for his continued love and support. I know that through thick and thin, we can accomplish much as long as we believe that we can.