Last Sunday in church all the children had gathered in the front for the children's sermon. The lady giving the sermon was explaining the meaning of Advent.

"This is the time of year we all wait for the coming of Jesus," she explained.

Nathan, a rambunctious youngster, was right up front by the microphone.

"What are you talking about?" Nathan exclaimed. "I'm waiting for Santa!"

I, along with many in the congregation, got a good laugh out of this.

The sermon went on as the teacher talked about the three wise men (who, according to Nathan, had to be Indians, because Indians were the only people alive way back then) and the gifts they brought to the baby.

Nathan's comments were so refreshing, because, as erroneous as his theories may have been, it was a new and innocent outlook on this dreaded holiday.

Christmas is no longer a happy time of year. When you ask people, they are more likely to associate the holiday with stress or pain.

Of course, there is Christmas shopping. Getting to and from stores in the horrible traffic will give anyone a headache.

The actual buying of the gifts takes a huge chunk out of usually too-small paychecks.

Last Sunday I was doing my shopping and overheard a conversation in the next dressing room.

A woman was talking to what I assume to be her ex-husband about how she has "four f$@#ing jobs and can't afford to have a Christmas" for their daughter.

Apparently, the child support doesn't help, and the only money he gives her is for diet pills.

Wow.

Long hours and large crowds make store workers and shoppers unusually grumpy in this cheerful holiday time.

And too many people have lost friends and family and are mourning the fact that they will not be spending Christmas with these loved ones.

I felt the full force of this when I was home over Thanksgiving break.

My friends and I were remembering the birthdays of fathers and brothers and mourning the anniversaries of deaths of friends.

At least we had each other, though.

We laughed and told stories. We hugged and cried and visited the cemetery.

The same Sunday that Nathan had his enlightening outbursts, the preacher's sermon was about hope.

He said that with all the pain the holidays bring, everyone must find hope.

That is the best gift you can give somebody.

Christmas is not supposed to be a time for stress. The birth of Christ was a turning point in the lives of people more than 2,000 years ago.

This is a time of year when we can all hope for a turning point in our lives.

Even people who feel hopeless should be able to find promise in God's gift to us.

But some people will still want nothing more than to get through this time of year with a little sanity.

For those, there is a quote that stuck out from my preacher's sermon. It is a quote from Hal Borland, who said, "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn."

The holidays will pass and time and life will go on. We'll all come back to school and to our jobs.

So now, as you go off on your two-week Christmas break, remember that this time of year is more than shopping and eating for so many people.

Understand that your family and friends may be going through a lonesome holiday and help them find the gift of hope.

Everyone deserves happiness at this time of year, and I hope we can all rekindle the innocent days of our childhoods as we wait for Jesus. Or Santa. Whoever.

Heidi Hausmann is a senior journalism major from Opelousas and serves as editor for The Tech Talk.