My Friends,
After many stops on this most busy of nights, I found myself here before this magnificent tree. As I stood and studied each individual ornament, I came to understand the stories associated with each. Some stories are more complete than others are, and some stories are more relevant for you fine folks than others.
As happens from time to time, certain ornaments leaped out to me delivering special messages just for each of you. I would like to share those messages with you now.
Callan, you were the first I received a message for this year. Located on your tree is a beautiful dancer bearing your name. She’s graceful in her white costume with pink trim. Her radiant smile brightens your tree like a heavenly star. She’s light and delicate; serious and thoughtful. This girl points herself in a direction and takes aim. Not too far away from this lovely girl, rests a three-tiered glass bell ornament. Each bell represents a key component for you to treasure. The largest of the three bells represents healing, both within yourself and within your family. Allow this bell to resonate in your heart. The middle bell resonates with happiness. Allow this bell to sound off inside you reverberating joy. Search for its delightful sound. The smallest of the three linked bells represents hope. Hope is something you must never allow to fade. It sometimes can be the most difficult to hear, but you must resolve to listen even more intently for its delicate sound. Our world depends on hope. Healing, Happiness, and Hope. That’s the message I hear for you, Callan, my dancer.
In 1992, sometime in December, Sam, you created a simple Christmas ornament. Carefully at your Small Steps Preschool, you glued together two golden canning jar lids and fixed a yarn loop between them. Then you selected two beautiful birds from a pair of old Christmas cards and carefully cut them out. Finally, you glued your cardinal and yellow grosbeak, cementing a lasting memory for you. You could have chosen practically any object, person, or scene, but you chose to express Nature. These birds rest in your tree this night, quietly keeping memories safe for you when you find great need for them. Above that golden ornament, skates a strapping young lad. With his warm coat and flowing scarf, he’s ready to face the elements in Nature and sail across the ice. You, Sam, are ready to launch yourself across the glass and etch your future with your sharpened blades. Remember well the birds that mark the location of your memories, of your past. Guard well their message and all of the other treasured memories you hold secretly dear to you.
This Christmas day is a wondrous moment, a time of rebirth and rededication. Jackie, two ornaments called for you as I glanced at the sparkling tree. One is a joyous Santa moon and the other is a simple sisal horse. Your journey on the back of this most dedicated beast will be long and fraught with pitfalls and challenges, but in the end you will have a celebration with the moon. While you may be tempted to get off the horse when the climb becomes too taxing, stay put; for the horse, although made of nothing but twine, is very strong. He will get you where you want to go. Not many are allowed to ride this special horse.
Thom, you strayed away from your family this year, but they saved you. You owe them two things that are magnified by two ornaments on your most glorious tree. A prickly bear rules the upper branches. I know this bear; he’s been on your tree for many years now, and you’ve never given him the respect he’s due. Each year, you try to get rid of him, but each year he comes back. He seems to have more faith in you than you have in him. You need to stick to that prickly bear. He may hurt you a bit, but he’s a care bear after all. A clown sits stoically near the top of the tree. His antiqued face is a bit faded and cracked, but his clown smile still shines through. You, Thom, need to invest in joy. You’ve always had it, but you allow it to get clouded by dark moments.
Christmas, the celebration of the birth of our Savior, is a time to bring families together. While they may stray from each other or move along different paths, families remain eternally bound to each other. Make the most of those bonds. Healing, Happiness, and Hope.
Merry Christmas,
Viejo Pascuero/Pere Noel/Papai Noel/Dun Che Lao Ren/Kerstman/Mikulas/Babbo Natale/Weihnachtsmann/Julenissen/Swiety Mikolaj/Santa Claus
Christmastime 2006
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