The Magic of Christmas

Christmas is for big kids too!

The magic of Christmas is an often-elusive chimera that can elude the sophisticated. Life, and the vagaries of winsome fate, sometimes condition those of us “on the shady side of forty” to look with irritation or indifference on the “hustle and bustle” of Christmas. The overt commercialism of the holidays can be sometimes less than appealing. It is a mindset that I think we all would like to get more away from, returning to the religious and spiritual side of the holidays.

But, we have to balance the commercial side of Christmas with the ecstatic smile of a small child who has just “talked to Santa” or written a hopeful letter to the “North Pole.” There are indeed “visions of sugar plums” delightfully whirling around in their small heads. Who among us does not remember wondering how Santa was going to climb down the narrow chimney with all of those toys? Or, how was Santa going to get around the whole world in a single night? And some few of us even remember looking into the starry night sky, on a cold Christmas Eve, and wondering if that glimmer of light, just to the right of tomorrow and onward towards yesterday, was a reflection from Santa’s sleigh, carried aloft by colorful reindeer in the inky night sky?

The wash of emotions, that surrounds us each Christmas, are a tidal wave of memories. Visions of Mom & Dad, family members, and friends from the past, float through our heads like ephemeral visions in a scene from “A Christmas Carol.” Thoughts of a younger and more carefree self give us pause to reflect nostalgically on the magic of a yesterday now far away. There is some regret for those no longer with us, but the ache is softened by time, blurred in memory to a soft and hazy glow.

All around us we see acts of generosity, to the less fortunate, by people from every walk of life. The kindnesses are heart warming to even the most cynical among us. It reveals a basic decency and a good-ness in people that often times lies submerged during the rest of the year. We see looks of appreciation, from the recipients of this generosity, that bring mist to our eyes and make us wonder why we are not more appreciative of the good fortune that God has blessed us with.

In our families, we remember the many selfless acts, performed for us daily by those who love us. Somehow we have come to expect this exemplary behavior from those around us and in doing so, lessen its value. We would do well to consider how much family and friends do to enrich our lives.

And as we look around us at work or in the neighborhood, we see the many unique and special people who daily labor and live along side and share our lives with us. They too perform many acts of kindness. They too do it daily and without thinking. They share with us a camaraderie and a concern for our welfare that is much treasured, especially when periodic shadows block the sun in our lives. Their “Christmas gifts” are given to us daily, like family, and with much the same magic.

For those many daily gifts, from each of those around us, I would suggest we offer a sincere Thank you for the spirit in which they were given. Like ripples in a pond, the effects of this generosity of spirit will flow outward and into our entire lives, enriching them immeasurably.

My very warmest wishes to all for a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year. And, as Tiny Tim said in Dickens’s “ A Christmas Carol,” “God Bless us, every one.”

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Joseph Xavier Martin