Waiting on Jeff.

I have never been one much for Christmas. I enjoyed it as a child, as any child does. The new toys, the wrapping paper, the tree, the food. It isn't that I have anything against it now that I am older, it's just not my favorite of holidays. It seems to bring me down a bit. Don't ask, I don't know why.

I look forward to it a bit more now that I have children. We started a family tradition years ago with our daughter, Logan. We take her to Wal-Mart and let her pick out a toy that she really wants and then have her pay for it and drop it in the Toys For Tots box at the front of the store.

The result of this throughout the years is that she has begun to realize that while we aren't exactly poor, we aren't exactly rich either. We are comfortable. We don't really want for anything but then we don't get all that we want and that there are others out there in the world that have little to nothing. Charity, no matter who you are, should be your middle name.

We started with Sam, our two year old son this year. I was amazed that he seemed to get it. He is a big fan of Thomas the Train. This year I let him pick out whatever he liked on the shelf and he was so excited. I went on to grab a few of his Christmas presents and some other things. And yes he's two and he saw the presents but he'll be just as surprised later. By the time they hit the trunk, they were forgotten.

I let him hold this all the way through the store, ohing and ahing over it. Pointing at different parts of the packaging, so excited to have this thing. And then came the inevitable. We paid and walked to the front of the store to the box. He looked in and saw all the other toys and grabbed the train set and put it in and then looked at me smiled and clapped. I was amazed. Not a second thought. Then he turned and saw the bag with the other toys and grabbed those too, gave a thoughtful little look and proceeded to put them in as well. I stopped him but I have never been more proud than that moment. He got it! It's about the giving. And this I suppose is my legacy. If I leave no other mark on the world, I will have raised two good hearted, caring people that may one day be able to change it. And that, my friends, is good enough for me. No, not just good enough, it is fantastic!

And I guess that's what I don't see enough of in the world. I see a lot of taking and hurt feelings. I don't want my world to be like that. So as you go about tomorrow and today giving gifts, think about the less fortunate. They're all around you. Think about the reason you are here and why you live this life. I'm not talking about Christmas in just the sense of a Christian. This goes out to all people, of all faiths. This next year just do one little kindness somewhere, sometime. Make the world a little better place.

Somewhere you can want to live.

Where you want your children to live.

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And Jeff? Well, if you're a fan, you already know who Jeff is...

"Father Christmas. Santa Claus. Or as I call him, Jeff."

Tomorrow night I will be spending some time with my family who are included in a special group (with all my fellow Whovians) and watching a very special thing for us. The Christmas Special. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and some snacks. There will be snow. Maybe throw on your favorite scarf, tweed jacket, possibly even a fez and, if you are so inclined, do join us. This never disappoints. 

Now where's my sonic...