Tim Ellsworth

NOTE: My wife and son have been gone this week, visiting her parents in Nashville. I’ll spend the night there tonight on my way to Atlanta for the weekend. Below is a letter I wrote in to Daniel in December when he and Sarah were visiting family in Illinois.

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December 7, 2004

Dear Daniel,

You’ll finally be home today. You and your mom have been back in Illinois the past week for a visit. While I’m sure your Grandpa and Grandma Ellsworth enjoyed having you around, I’ve missed you (and your mom). I’m excited about seeing you tonight.

The house just isn’t the same without you around. You bring so much joy to our home that it’s hard to think about what it was like without you. Although the house is certainly quieter when you’re not there, it’s an empty quiet. Your constant talking and laughing always brighten up my day, and your presence gives me something to look forward to each night.

I’m also excited about tonight because we’ll decorate our Christmas tree. Last year you were too young to be too involved in the process, but I imagine it will be different this year. You’ll probably enjoy seeing the lights on the tree and all the unusual ornaments – especially those with dogs on them.

Decorating the Christmas tree was a big deal when I was a kid. Even the dogs got excited when we brought the tree inside. We got a “real” Christmas tree every year — no fake trees at our house. Mom would string the lights, then your Uncle Marty and I would help her put on the ornaments. Dad always had to position a certain elf near the top of the tree. All the while, Christmas music played in the background.

Those were happy times, and I hope your mom and I will be able to provide you with similar memories during your childhood.

Christmas is a special time that I know you’ll grow to love. It’s a time for family traditions that will probably last the rest of your life. It’s a time for making Christmas cookies, watching Christmas programs on TV and listening to Christmas music. It’s a time for buying presents (and anxiously waiting to see what presents you’ll receive).

But ultimately, Christmas is so much more than that. While all of the above are definitely part of Christmas, they’re not the most important part. Christmas at its very essence is all about Jesus.

It’s about remembering that night in Bethlehem so long ago when Jesus left the glory of heaven and entered this world as one of us. That baby in the manger was positive proof of God’s love for us. That baby in the manger was God’s way of providing salvation to sinners. That’s what Christmas is all about.

So while it’s easy to become sidetracked by the commercialism of the holiday, I hope you’ll never lose sight of what Christmas really means.

Merry Christmas, little buddy. You make a special holiday even more precious to me.

Love always,

Dad