When my daughter was just two and half years old she would love to stand, with hands clasped in front of her, and intently look at the various ornaments on the brightly lit Christmas tree. She would literally chuckle with glee as she would cheerfully greet the lawn decorations of Frosty the Snowman and Santa as they stalwartly illuminated the front yard. One by one she would greet each reindeer as though they were her closest of friends.

She was always captivated by the bright lights and colorful decorations that were ornately displayed on the streets of our city. Even as a toddler she enjoyed going with the family to to Las Olas Boulevard and hear the Steel Band from our church as they would play Christmas Carols with the gentle rhythms of the Caribbean.

In the middle of all the commercial aspects of Christmas it was my great privilege and joy to share with her the real reason of the season - the Christ of Christmas. I could see she was eagerly learning and had accepted with such a beautiful childlike faith that Christ is the center and the most important reason for all the celebrations.

One evening as we were driving to church I was sharing with her the fact that Christmas was really Jesus' birthday. It seemed from out of nowhere, with only the slightest pause, she made a very clear statement that appeared more like a command to me. She emphatically said, "Mommy, I want to see Him right now because, if it's His birthday, I would like to give Him a gift."

I explained to her that the greatest gift we could give to Jesus on His birthday was our heart and our love for Him every day of our lives. To that she promptly replied, "O.K. Mommy, I want to give Him a kiss." Without hesitation I said, "Let's look up to heaven together right now and let's both give Jesus a big kiss." As I looked in the rear view mirror and prepared myself to kiss the heavens, I saw my precious little daughter as she pursed her tiny lips. The expression on her face was priceless as she sent a resounding kiss to Jesus.

As quickly as it had come the moment was over as we pulled into the church parking lot, but a great lesson was learned. Although I was teaching my daughter that the real meaning of Christmas was more than the tinsel and the trees, she was also teaching me the simplicity and the beauty of seeing Jesus' birthday with the innocent love and devotion of childlike faith. Oh, to see Christmas through the eyes of a child again.

May we always experience the depth and the magnitude of that kind of faith and devotion to the Christ of Christmas every day of the year. May we never forget whose birthday it really is. Amid all the hustle and bustle of the season let us consider what we will give as our special gift to him. I truly believe the one He is most looking for is - our heart. Thank you, daughter of mine, for teaching mommy such a wonderful lesson of love. It's one I will never forget.