Christmas Thoughts
When I was little, the magic of
Christmas did not happen until Christmas morning with a tree that was softly
lit with ornaments dangling, stockings brimming full of round sugar candies, un-cracked
nuts and an orange. Beneath the
Christmas stockings and the glorious fresh pine tree was heaven. Though I was a little girl, I got my Tonka
dump truck, a little red barn with a barnyard filled with animals with miniature
fences to keep them in and oh, yes, a Barbie doll who would ride out the rest
of the day tucked in the back of the little Tonka dump truck with an odd animal
or two to keep her company. I had my
Huckleberry Hound Dog stuffed toy as well.
Well, now Christmas is not filled
with many surprises under the tree which is taken out of its carton then put
together with all of its lights attached.
My husband believes that since the tree came with lights that it has
plenty but since I have a different view about the lighting of the Christmas
tree, he laboriously adds the many other strands of colored lights to our
little tree while I sit and read giving encouragement as needed. After all, Peace to all is the idea of Christmas
and peace in our house stems from the happiness of his little wife.
My husband has found out that
checking the lights before putting them on the tree has saved him the trouble
of cursing mildly. I have helped him
with this epiphany of the past just in case it has disappeared from his mind by
asking him, “Did you check the lights?” I offer to help without stirring from
my post at the table with hot tea in my hand.
After he has the tree put together with the lights attached, the
boxes that were filled to the brim and were taped shut are bought down from the
attic and from the top shelf of the closet for me to begin the decorating of
the tree and the top of small upright oak piano. Choices, so many choices with so many
ornaments that I have acquired from over thirty years of cohabitation with my
angel of a husband. Some are glass balls
while other ornaments are wooden or twisted wires stars, ceramic angels, white
cotton thread crocheted stars and beaded bells of blue, purple, red and as well
silver. I love the glimpses of these various
symbols of the holiday peeking throughout the branches of this green plastic imitation
pine tree. No spiders will be coming out
of hibernation in the warmth of the room, no bird nest will be found that was left
from the summer, a nest with bits of soft down feathers mixed with the refuse
of baby birds that have flown away to seek their own summer in whatever is left
of the year.
But the magic happens and when the tree is complete with its
lights with the simple golden bead garland and many different ornaments, it is
Christmas that glimmers in the corner where the tree rests upon the tan harpsichord
that is covered with several yards of red fabrics that have patterns with Santa
Clauses, a yard of cloth with golden angels, and still another red yard of fabric
wrapped about the base of the tree with candy canes, toy drums and sleds
imprinted on a sea of red. The Christmas tree skirt peeks out from beneath a
blue, silvered mass of tinsel where a stuffed bear on a sled holds his book of
Christmas carols, and gradually the presents join with some dignity to wait for
the great day that is coming. On the top
of the little brown oak piano, it has acquired a new magic of its own with
lights, angels, snowmen and Santa hiding in the tinsel and green lights
reflecting back into the darken room. It
is magic, hope and miracles waiting to happen.
I hope that everyone has a bit of magic in their lives
whether is it simply waking up in the morning without the usual aches or new
ones. Here is my gift to you,
enjoy. The following little story was
written about 26 years ago when my son was young and yes, I do know how to spell
his name but it is more of a period piece so I chose a different spelling for
his name and he didn't want me to us his real name.
Sleeping under the Stockings
Sometimes the amount of excitement was so strong, that no
amount of coaxing could convince the children to crawl between the
blankets. It was after all, the magical
night, the night before Christmas. Tired
parents placed cozy blankets around the three children as they sat close to the
glory of the dazzling tinseled tree. There was no fire in the fireplace tonight
for the children had begged for the jolly old elf’s sake. The house was warm for the fire had burned brightly
all day. In a second room, a black
pot-bellied stove was banked and it would help to warm the house throughout the
night.
Stockings were hung on sturdy nails that were driven into the
mantel place. Each one had been
carefully knitted by grandmother with loving hands. A plate of tempting molasses popcorn balls were
placed on a three-legged wooden stool which sat close to the slowly cooling
fireplace. Carrots and apples sat on the
floor, ready for the magical spirit to take to his waiting reindeer.
The mother and father kissed their beloved little girl and
two boys, wishing the nodding heads sweet dreams. The gas lights on the walls were turned
down. The soft remaining light gave the
silvery clad tree a mystical beauty. It
was a beauty that seemed to grow and fill the room. The sandman quickly took
the children to the perfect dreamland.
Emily was first to awaken in the stillness of the night. She gazed at the beautiful tree and looked to
see that the popcorn balls were safe on the wooden stool. The room was glowing softly from the feebly
burning gaslights on the walls. The
moonlight shone gently through the wooden paned windows to rest on the floor
and rugs. Emily stared at the moonlight
coming in the windows and suddenly she sat up and rubbed her eyes with wonderment. In the moonlight, sitting on the floor was a
small angel.
Emily reached over to her right and pinched Ben awake. Then
she turned over to her left and pinched Shawn to wake him. When that did not work, she pulled on his arm
to shake him. Both boys were groggy. Emily whispered to them to be quiet and she
pointed to the angel who was still sitting on the floor.
The angel was glowing.
As the angel glowed the room became brighter and brighter until it was
nearly as bright as the day. The angel
was humming, softly as a light breeze blowing through the tall lilacs that
stood by the side of the house in the summertime. Standing up, the angel started to pirouette
about the room and in the soft moonlight.
The children were entranced by the lightness of the angel’s movements
and without knowing it they began to dance by the side of the heavenly
being. Their hearts were so light and filled
with happiness that without knowing it, the children started floating in
mid-air.
They continued to dance for quite some time until the angel
stopped with a sigh and sank into a graceful pile on the floor. The children collapsed breathlessly next to
the glowing creature of heaven. Carefully,
Emily reached out her hand to touch the cheek of the angel. The blessed being, laughed and stood up, then
bending over, the angel kissed each of the children on the tops of their
heads. Placing a finger on its lips and nodding
its head, the angel beckoned to the children to follow across the room to where
the nativity scene was displayed on a low table by the window. The lovely presence pointed to the glowing
display which sat in the moonlight.
Before the children’s eyes, the tiny figures became
alive. The figures started to grow until
the room was filled with their presence and Emily, Ben and Shawn watched with
joy as Mary held in her arms the holy child.
Joseph stood by her side and welcomed the three wise men with their
gifts. In the stable, the soft lowing of the cows and the bleating of the goats
and sheep echoed the joy of the angelic choir that was softly singing
Hallelujah.
It seemed to the children that the room had disappeared and
that they were truly at the stable where the child slept peacefully in the
manger where his mother Mary had placed him.
As they looked to the sky, the children saw the glory of the shining
star of Bethlehem above the stable where the child was born. They knelt in the straw with the angel by
their side and gave the pure prayers of children in worship to God. Their little hearts were filled with the holy
love and joy of God. The heavenly choir’s
songs of joy grew louder and filled the children to the brim with peace.
The scene before the children grew dim, the holy figures grew
small, and the nativity display sat once more upon the table in the soft
moonlight. The angel led sleepy children
back to their beds on the floor and gently placed the blankets about them. Quickly, the little ones fell back to sleep
and the angel kissed each one upon their foreheads.
The divine angel stood up, and after glowing into a
brilliance that flooded the room began to fade away. As the loving angelic being faded away, the angel
turned to the fireplace and winked at the red clad gent who was leaving his
wares beneath the tinseled tree and to those who were sleeping under the
stockings.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
