Every Christmas I catch myself reminiscing about the days of my childhood when I would lay awake on Christmas Eve trying desperately to fall asleep so that Santa would come (he won't arrive until you're asleep you know.) Belief is so powerful and wonderful. My own was so strong that I didn't figure out that there wasn't a Santa, rather at the old age of 8 my mother had to sit me down and explain that Santa is simply a story. There once was a real St. Nicholas, but he lived a long time ago and now moms and dads do all of Santa's work. Even after being handed this frightful news, I still said, ".......but there is an Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy, right?"
In time I made peace with a cruel world without Santa and all the other fictional characters that bring magic and wonder into the life of a child. I may have grown too comfortable with it. Like it or not I've grown pretty cynical really. I don't trust strangers, I don't give money to homeless people on the street and I rarely give my phone number or address to anybody. If there were a Santa he'd have a hard time finding me. Is that to say I'm heartless? Not at all. Avoiding eye contact is a useful way to be safe in a city, I happily give granola bars or candy to homeless people and 3% of my income to the salvation army, who can do much more good than I can; and my personal information is best kept with people I know. The truth is that the world children know is largely fiction and that is okay.
Still, even though I know that most of the magic I once believed in is no more than a fantastic story, occasionally I catch myself wishing. When I look at the wide world and the small one that surrounds me I catch myself wishing for things. Little things and big things. Possible and impossible. There is brokenness all around us. Broken hearts, broken homes, broken countries, broken minds, broken souls, broken relationships and broken lives. I find myself wishing I could give a little girl her divorced parents back together and loving each other and her. Or wishing I could give the peace of forgiveness to someone filled with hate and self-loathing. Or wishing I could end wars and send young boys back to their distraught families. I wish no one would go hungry or lose their home or job. I wish everyone were cared for.
My original intent was to make a list of Christmas wishes, but what is interesting is that all of my wishes really have the same root. I really want just one thing. The cynic in me initially scoffed at the idea, but I guess that little girl who believed so fervently in Santa Claus ultimately won out. My wish is simple. I wish for love in every one's hearts. Love really is the answer. If we are really filled with love for ourselves and each other we will only bring love and joy into the lives of those around us. It's when all those other ugly things like selfishness and fear creep in that we begin to do harm and grow to be disrespectful and hateful. So it is simple and yet profound. My Christmas wish is love for all.
What do you wish for this year?
In time I made peace with a cruel world without Santa and all the other fictional characters that bring magic and wonder into the life of a child. I may have grown too comfortable with it. Like it or not I've grown pretty cynical really. I don't trust strangers, I don't give money to homeless people on the street and I rarely give my phone number or address to anybody. If there were a Santa he'd have a hard time finding me. Is that to say I'm heartless? Not at all. Avoiding eye contact is a useful way to be safe in a city, I happily give granola bars or candy to homeless people and 3% of my income to the salvation army, who can do much more good than I can; and my personal information is best kept with people I know. The truth is that the world children know is largely fiction and that is okay.
Still, even though I know that most of the magic I once believed in is no more than a fantastic story, occasionally I catch myself wishing. When I look at the wide world and the small one that surrounds me I catch myself wishing for things. Little things and big things. Possible and impossible. There is brokenness all around us. Broken hearts, broken homes, broken countries, broken minds, broken souls, broken relationships and broken lives. I find myself wishing I could give a little girl her divorced parents back together and loving each other and her. Or wishing I could give the peace of forgiveness to someone filled with hate and self-loathing. Or wishing I could end wars and send young boys back to their distraught families. I wish no one would go hungry or lose their home or job. I wish everyone were cared for.
My original intent was to make a list of Christmas wishes, but what is interesting is that all of my wishes really have the same root. I really want just one thing. The cynic in me initially scoffed at the idea, but I guess that little girl who believed so fervently in Santa Claus ultimately won out. My wish is simple. I wish for love in every one's hearts. Love really is the answer. If we are really filled with love for ourselves and each other we will only bring love and joy into the lives of those around us. It's when all those other ugly things like selfishness and fear creep in that we begin to do harm and grow to be disrespectful and hateful. So it is simple and yet profound. My Christmas wish is love for all.
What do you wish for this year?
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