Christmas presence

My mother told me that Christmas was not a big day for presents in her family. They lived in the rural area around Sisseton, SD where their father attempted to make a living as a farmer. He was a bad alcoholic and never had much success. Their mother did as well as she could for them at Christmastime but, with little money or other resources, the kids usually received just some hard candy and an apple.
One Christmas, when my mother was about ten, she received a real present - the first doll she had ever owned. She told me she adored that little doll and took it with her where ever she went. She combed its hair and dressed it up and played with it everyday. A few days before Christmas the next year her mother came to her and told her she had to give the doll back. It was her sister's turn to have a toy. Amid tears, she reluctantly surrendered the dolly to her mother. She was so heart broken that she was sure this would be the worst Christmas ever. And then she saw how much excitement and happiness her sister experienced upon getting that present.
Even though she only 11 years old she learned an important lesson. Christmas is not about what you get, it is about what you give. When they went to Mass on Christmas morning she said that, for the first time in her life, she understood the sacrifice that God made in sending Jesus to us on that first Christmas Day. She finally realized that true Christmas joy came not from presents, but from the true presence of Jesus Christ at Christmastime and every day.
This story has taught me much about what is important in life. I give thanks to my mom for always making Christmas, regardless of the presents, a time of realizing the true presence of Jesus Christ in my life.