Day 8 – The One True Example

When I was younger, my family took photos with Santa every year. It was a whole production – matching Christmas outfits for me and my siblings, big smiles, and sometimes big tears. These photos were a family tradition. To this day, we decorate our home every Christmas season with all those years of Santa photos.

When I was about four years old, after we had taken our annual family photo with Santa, we took turns sitting on Santa’s lap for individual pictures. My younger brother, Nick, went first. And then it was my turn. Something my parents didn’t know at the time was that I despised my solo picture with Santa. To me, it was so awkward. I didn’t like sitting on Santa’s lap telling him about what I wanted. I was much more comfortable giving him my extensive list through the mail.

So there I was, on Santa’s lap, trying to distract myself. Instead of talking to Santa or smiling at the camera, I looked past it, at my family. My oldest sister, Jessica, was hanging out with Nick, and my parents were watching me, making sure I was smiling right. But my other sister, Isabelle, was sitting on one of the oversized gifts that served as decoration. And of course, seeing that made me want to do it too.

I finished my photo with Santa, and Isabelle made her way to the chair I was sitting in. I made a run for the present where she once sat. I checked to make sure my parents weren’t looking, and with all the grace a small child could muster, I jumped onto the present. At that moment, I felt so cool and so grown up, just like my older sister.

I learned two very important things after jumping on that present. First, my sister wasn’t actually sitting on the present, she was just standing in front of it and leaning against it. And second, the big decorative gift boxes at the mall are not filled with gifts, they are hollow and made of very thin cardboard. I’m sure you can guess what happened next.

Before I knew it, I fell straight through the top of that present, landing inside the box, with my arms and legs sticking straight up.

Cue the chaos: screams from my parents, laughter from my siblings, and suddenly, one of Santa’s helpers pulling me out of the gift. This Christmas memory is recalled year after year in our family, leading to many jokes and fits of laughter.

As we reflect on the wonder of Jesus this Advent season, I think about what makes Jesus wonderful to me. He is kind, forgiving, humble, patient, doesn’t judge others, and loves everyone. I could go on and on about what makes him wonderful, but what I really want to say is that he is the one true example.

When I unknowingly jumped into a hollow present, I did it because I saw my older sister do it first. It really wasn’t my own idea, I jumped onto the present imitating her. She was my example, even though it wasn’t a good example at that moment. But, unlike my (then six-year-old) sister, Isabelle, the thing about Jesus is that he is always a good example.

We live in a world with so many things to follow. From TikTok and Instagram to the books we read and the shows we watch, it is hard to know what to do ourselves. But the thing that I am realizing more is that when we follow these things, we are left with the sense of something missing. But then there is the example of Jesus that we can follow, an example that is fulfilling, that asks us to love ourselves and others. If you look to him to imitate in life, you will be on the right path. You may face some obstacles, like falling into Christmas presents, but by following him, you will never fail to experience his wonder.