Many people in Thunder Bay and many more across the country are on a life-long quest to recapture something special that was left behind years ago.
I can still remember that magic feeling as a kid waiting with my brothers and sisters for Christmas to arrive. For the entire month of December our imaginations ran wild and by the time the big day arrived we were in a full blown frenzy.
As we got older, it was exactly that unbridled enthusiasm and wild-eyed innocence that we searched for every year about this time. Wouldn’t it be nice to go back?
Ah, the good old days. Every now and then, if we’re lucky, we still get to experience the feeling of childhood joy that we used to know at Christmas.
It might show up disguised as a favorite song, a favorite food or in the starry eyes of a child or grandchild. Sometimes we are taken completely by surprise but from that point on we are in a more Christmasy mood.
It is all nicely preserved and perfectly expressed in many of the well used holiday clichés we sometimes take for granted. These are the words and phrases that we all use to capture the many moods of Christmas. This is our Jingle Bell jargon.
For example, there’s no place like home for the holidays. I have to agree with that one. At this time of year it is always nice to be in the comfort of familiar surroundings with the company of family and friends.
Christmas is for kids, so the old cliché goes and there’s a lot of truth in that one. That’s why I like to hang around with the under five crowd on Christmas Day. Kids that age know how to have a good time. They can still be dazzled by visions of sugar plums and brown paper packages tied up with string.
We love to watch them as they get wound up with excitement, fun and expectation; all fueled by a generous portion of sweet Christmas treats. Sometimes, just for a moment, we feel like kids again ourselves. These are the moments that still make Christmas special and they always remind us of people and places we love.
What we are really looking for can best be described by yet another well-worn cliché, the true meaning of Christmas.
As children we were easily impressed by the shiny, musical, magical trappings of the season. As adults we have to look elsewhere for the magic.
We should remember that as joyful as the Christmas season is for some Canadians, for many others it is a sad and lonely time. Peace and good will toward men is another meaningful cliché but many of life’s hardships need more than clichés and catchy phrases.
It can be a difficult time for anyone experiencing tragedy, loss or loneliness in their life. Amid the celebration and merriment we should be mindful of those among us who need our help, whether family, friends or other community members.
Fortunately there is another holiday tradition that is so widespread in Canada it has also become a cliché. It is the Gift of Giving and as clichés go, this one packs a punch.
There is hope and charity in every Canadian heart and we take care of those in need with a thousand acts of generosity and kindness. It could be as simple as a smile or a word of encouragement or even a sincere wish of good will along with a Christmas cliché or two thrown in for good measure.
Canadians are very generous all year long but especially at Christmas. Locally, calls for extra food, toys and volunteers are always answered. Families in need are provided for.
Meals are prepared, gifts are wrapped and every year a few more wide-eyed boys and girls get lifelong memories for Christmas.
As for the volunteers, they get something pretty special too. They get to experience a feeling of happiness, satisfaction and well-being they haven’t known since they were kids themselves around the Christmas tree. The quest is over. That old childhood magic is recaptured through the Joy of Giving.
One of our greeting cards this year included a reminder from an old childhood friend – the Grinch.
He thought that Christmas was about Santa and toys and Christmas trees and candy.
But even without the ribbons and bows the Spirit of Christmas arrived anyway.
Perhaps Christmas means a little bit more than he thought.
I can still remember that magic feeling as a kid waiting with my brothers and sisters for Christmas to arrive. For the entire month of December our imaginations ran wild and by the time the big day arrived we were in a full blown frenzy.
As we got older, it was exactly that unbridled enthusiasm and wild-eyed innocence that we searched for every year about this time. Wouldn’t it be nice to go back?
Ah, the good old days. Every now and then, if we’re lucky, we still get to experience the feeling of childhood joy that we used to know at Christmas.
It might show up disguised as a favorite song, a favorite food or in the starry eyes of a child or grandchild. Sometimes we are taken completely by surprise but from that point on we are in a more Christmasy mood.
It is all nicely preserved and perfectly expressed in many of the well used holiday clichés we sometimes take for granted. These are the words and phrases that we all use to capture the many moods of Christmas. This is our Jingle Bell jargon.
For example, there’s no place like home for the holidays. I have to agree with that one. At this time of year it is always nice to be in the comfort of familiar surroundings with the company of family and friends.
Christmas is for kids, so the old cliché goes and there’s a lot of truth in that one. That’s why I like to hang around with the under five crowd on Christmas Day. Kids that age know how to have a good time. They can still be dazzled by visions of sugar plums and brown paper packages tied up with string.
We love to watch them as they get wound up with excitement, fun and expectation; all fueled by a generous portion of sweet Christmas treats. Sometimes, just for a moment, we feel like kids again ourselves. These are the moments that still make Christmas special and they always remind us of people and places we love.
What we are really looking for can best be described by yet another well-worn cliché, the true meaning of Christmas.
As children we were easily impressed by the shiny, musical, magical trappings of the season. As adults we have to look elsewhere for the magic.
We should remember that as joyful as the Christmas season is for some Canadians, for many others it is a sad and lonely time. Peace and good will toward men is another meaningful cliché but many of life’s hardships need more than clichés and catchy phrases.
It can be a difficult time for anyone experiencing tragedy, loss or loneliness in their life. Amid the celebration and merriment we should be mindful of those among us who need our help, whether family, friends or other community members.
Fortunately there is another holiday tradition that is so widespread in Canada it has also become a cliché. It is the Gift of Giving and as clichés go, this one packs a punch.
There is hope and charity in every Canadian heart and we take care of those in need with a thousand acts of generosity and kindness. It could be as simple as a smile or a word of encouragement or even a sincere wish of good will along with a Christmas cliché or two thrown in for good measure.
Canadians are very generous all year long but especially at Christmas. Locally, calls for extra food, toys and volunteers are always answered. Families in need are provided for.
Meals are prepared, gifts are wrapped and every year a few more wide-eyed boys and girls get lifelong memories for Christmas.
As for the volunteers, they get something pretty special too. They get to experience a feeling of happiness, satisfaction and well-being they haven’t known since they were kids themselves around the Christmas tree. The quest is over. That old childhood magic is recaptured through the Joy of Giving.
One of our greeting cards this year included a reminder from an old childhood friend – the Grinch.
He thought that Christmas was about Santa and toys and Christmas trees and candy.
But even without the ribbons and bows the Spirit of Christmas arrived anyway.
Perhaps Christmas means a little bit more than he thought.
