12 Days of Service and Tradition: Day 4

Service
Showing kindness and love to the people in your home is the best service anyone can give! When I was a young child, my Mom let me be her special helper in preparing a program that would help our family serve each other during the Christmas season. We found little pieces of paper hay and a small wooden manger. Each member of the family drew a name and was to do kind things for that person throughout the month. Each time something was done, a piece of "hay" was to be placed in the manger, making a soft bed for baby Jesus to sleep in.

I was allowed to choose a small baby doll and make it look like baby Jesus. I have to admit, this was the most fun for me...chopping off the long hair (every child longs to do this!) and dressing the doll up in a Barbie robe (the official Christmas costume). On Christmas Eve, we revealed who we had been serving all month then read the Christmas Story and put the baby Jesus in His manger.

I remember my Mom crying so I'm sure I did too. I remember the last minute scramble of everyone to do more nice things so there was enough "hay." And I remember drawing the name of my younger sister to serve, probably the best person for me to have!! I can't wait to start this tradition of service with my family when the little ones are a bit bigger.


Tradition
When I was a college student at BYU, my Mom sent me a wonderful binder entitled "24 Days Til Christmas." Inside is a scripture, story and song for each day in December that leads up until Christmas. I loved having it as a student because it was homey and provoked some of that Christmas magic that only exists in the walls of the home you experienced Christmas in as a child. I still love it. I love pulling it out each year- much to the chagrin and groans of Patrick who barters with me every year on how we can get around this tradition. In order to maintain peace and love during the season of peace and love, I omit reading most of the stories because they truly are too long for Afton, and instead read the scripture then turn all the lights off and sing the song to the glow of the tree/garland lights.