I am delighted to welcome back fellow author Glenys Nellist! Glenys has written popular posts for this blog like this one and a second Little Mole book for children, Little Mole's Christmas Gift. You might remember her first Little Mole book, which was geared to helping children process sadness and find hope. In honor of her new one's Christmas focus, I asked her the following questions. Since she's a mother, grandmother, and Christian Educator, she has a rich prospective to share:
What is your favorite Christmas memory from when your children were little?
My favorite Christmas memory with my children stems from a tradition that was passed down in my family. I am one of eight, and on Christmas morning we would all race downstairs and line up outside the living room door, anxious to see if Santa (or Father Christmas, as we called him) had been. None of us could enter the room until all eight of us were ready, and we lined up in order of age, with my youngest brother the first to go in. I was fifth in line, and it was always a magical moment to burst through the door and see the room full of shining gifts. This tradition, then, was carried over when our four children were born. My excitement watching my four little ones line up outside the living room door on Christmas morning was equal to that magical feeling I had as a child.
If you had to do it again, is there something you would tweak looking back on your Christmas celebrations?
Two things... Firstly, I might try to be more organized! Even though I tried, I always ended up wrapping presents late on Christmas Eve, which made it stressful. Secondly, I wish I had taken the time to celebrate Advent with my children, beyond the daily opening of the windows in their Advent calendars. There are so many good resources now that I wish had been available to me all those years ago.
Is there any activity that you would encourage families to consider integrating into their own holiday traditions?
Following on from the last question, I would encourage families to celebrate the whole Advent season together, especially since this year will be so challenging and different for all of us. Any resources or activities that will encourage families to bond during the whole month of December are to be welcomed. I love this interactive Advent Calendar from Beaming Books, and the recently released Faithful Families for Advent and Christmas from Traci Smith is just wonderful!
What inspired you to write Little Mole's Christmas Gift, and what do you hope will be the takeaway from your newest treasure?
In a world that so often encourages lavish spending and the buying of large gifts at Christmas, I really wanted to explore how the smallest of gifts, or those that can't even be wrapped, can somehow be the greatest. I remember several years ago when my daughter was a church custodian. It was Mother’s Day, and she couldn’t afford to buy me a gift. So instead, she sat in the sanctuary after everyone else had gone home and sang my favorite hymn as she thought about me. I’ve never forgotten that gift. It meant the world to me. In Little Mole’s Christmas Gift, Little Mole discovers that his kindness is the best, most wonderful gift his mama could ever receive—just like my daughter’s little gift was precious to me. This then is what I hope readers will take from the book...that kindness and generosity can be the greatest gifts of all.
Thank you, Glenys, for sharing your thoughts with us. You made my eyes tear with your last response! Want to win a free copy of Glenys' book to share with your family? You might get an early Christmas gift if you:
