What does does Christmas mean to you?

Candles burning low, lot's of mistle toe, or lots of snow and ice everywhere we go. To me, it's none of those things. It's never been about those things. I grew up in a family where Christmas was more a headache than a blessing. It just meant that we had to go somewhere as a family and that never turned out well. Recently, Christmas doesn't even get me excited. I don't dread it like I used to, so thats a step in the right direction I suppose.
Each year I'm finding out more and more what Christmas really means to me. Yeah, I go to church and I get the message about Christ, but I think at the end of the day, it should be our goal through out the whole year, everday, to remember that He was born for us. So it's not often that I really take a ton of time around Christmas to remember that because I've tried my best to remember it all year.
Hm, but if I could sum up what Christmas means to me this year, it would go something like this.
It's sitting around the Korby's kitchen laughing at dumb stuff and getting the Christmas Eve dinner all ready. It's talking to my brother about something our dad did once again and laughing until our stomachs hurt. It's watching how (he probably didn't even notice he was doing this) Ron's mood slowly got lighter and happier as his flight for Florida got closer and closer. It's going to church with a bunch of friends that, and then having the Everetts sit down right next to us. It's Ashley, and her many glasses of wine telling me and Pat how much she loves Christmas and, she's alright! It's coming home and having all the Korby's asleep on various spots of the living room floor. It's my little cousin telling me 4382439 times that Santa will bring him that airplane tomorrow and he can't wait.
This year, I realized more than ever that it's about family. Maybe it's not always our own, but I've found that when I surround myself with people and just laugh, that's when I remember that it's Christmas. It doesn't need to be the cliche family either. Just people to come over, watch stupid tv shows and laugh at funny stuff. That, is family enough for me.
Ask yourself, what does Christmas really mean to you.