Christmas Reflections

Well, it has come and gone; mostly coming and then going. It never seems to stay long, does it? All the build up for months and months; since October we have been seeing ads and accessories and toys relating to Christmas. We have also seen the questions about whether it is Constitutionally allowable to tell people to have a “Merry Christmas” as opposed to the more generic “Happy Holidays”. Or the ridiculous “Happy Kwanzaa”, the made-up “me-too” “celebration”.



But the celebration as we know it is over. The food is all eaten and/or pawned off on relatives who brought other dishes. The gifts have been torn into and pawed through, the next better than the last, but ever ready to be supplanted by another. Then the wrapping paper and other packaging that is strewn about the floor needs to be sifted to make sure it doesn’t contain a wayward earring or stray bracelet. It would be disaster to have but one James Avery earring while the other is AWOL.



With the giving and getting all through, it is now time to relax, and reflect on what we have just witnessed. From where I stand, it is a frenzy of buying and selling, giving and getting, and remembering that Jesus came out of love for us, and in a selfless sacrifice, made us a way to get to an eternal home. That is a wonderful thought. God’s whole family together forever like a great big holiday.



I wonder who is supposed to bring the green beans and new potatoes...

Summer Christmas

It seems there is another writer of sorts in the house.



At school, there was an opportunity to write a story for Christmas. My 11 year-old wrote the following tome.


Did Mrs. Claus Save Christmas?
“Chris, my dear, you must go deliver those presents, I will feed you later!” Mrs. Claus said with a sigh.

Santa was lounging in his big red recliner watching TV, his belly hung out of his white T-shirt, and his socks went up to his knees; he looked pathetic. Santa was complaining about how if his big fat stomach didn’t get any food he would die, and he wouldn’t regret not going to deliver presents, if that was what he had to do to get some dinner.

“Dear, you need to stop being such a baby about this, when you get home I’ll have a big meal here waiting for you, besides you’re going to be eating all those cookies, that will fill you up ‘till you get home,” said Mrs. Claus lovingly.

Mrs. Claus went into the kitchen and to her surprise, she saw little Sally elf, with her little pink bow and her pink and brown argyle socks. Se was the smallest, yet sweetest elf around and you could count on her to do anything.

“Sally dear, what are you doing here washing all of these dishes?” Mrs. Claus asked.

“Well, I know how busy you are with you-know-who at this time of the year, so I thought it would be nice to help out,” Sally said.

“Yeah,” Mrs. Claus agreed, “He’s been a real pain, and I think I will just have to go deliver presents myself this year.”

Sally’s eyes sparkled as she said, “Just get a beard, some boots and his costume and you will be all set to go!"

Mrs. Claus decided to go ahead and try on her husband’s costume, and to her surprise, it fit her very well. She slipped on a pair of high-heeled black boots and headed out the door.

She had caught the elves just in time; they were loading up the sleigh. Mrs. Claus jumped into the sleigh, whipped the reindeer a few times and they flew off.

After a while, Mrs. Claus realized that she had no idea where she was going and she didn’t know what anybody wanted. She decided to turn the sleigh around. When she got home, Santa was waiting at the door for her. She jumped out of the sleigh and ran to hug him.

“How did you know where I was?” she exclaimed.

“I’m Santa,” he replied.

“So, will you go deliver the presents?” she pleaded.

“Yes I will, but DON’T FORGET about my dinner!”

She agreed and gave him a big Santa smooch. As he flew off into the night and exclaimed, “Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! And don’t forget my dinner!”

oK, Only a Week

This is me in shock. I have seen the future and it is only six days away! Is that strange to everyone else, too? Even though the usual run-up to Christmas starts earlier and earlier, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seems to be compressed this year. Maybe it's me, maybe it's global warming, but I just don't think there's been as much time intervening as there used to be.



Of course, the hustle and muscle of the season has taken somewhat of a toll on nearly everyone in my age-ish bracket...geezers, mainly.



Yes, I KNOW the expression is "hustle and bustle", but it doesn't take "bustle" to drag a 120 pound artificial tree from the attic, does it? And you don't strain a "bustle" in your back and get a cramp in your leg "bustle" trying to man-handle all the ornaments, lights and other accoutrements from their vacation land. No, sir.



But, time is fleeting, I know that. It's just that it seems to get fleet-er from year to year. Or month to month, depending on your lease.

24 More Days...

Ah, December First, only 24 more days till Christmas. To a seven year-old, the preceeding 341 days must have seemed like an eternity. I know, because I have been there.



But I'm here now, and it seems like only a couple of weeks ago we took down the (artificial) tree and stowed it and all similar seasonal kitch and knick knacks in their 11 month resting place.

Stand by, I feel another story coming on...wait, it was a sneeze...never mind.