God Bless Us, Every One...

I am a sucker for a good Christmas story. I admit it. I can watch, It’s a Wonderful Life, over and over and every time, see that my simple existence has meaning after watching George Bailey discover how Bedford Falls would be different without him. I’ve never been able to watch, A Christmas Carol, without crying at the possibility of Tiny Tim’s death; just knowing that the fictional world of 19th century London would be a more positive place if only he could live longer. And while I know George and Tim are just characters in imaginative stories, I always believe there is hope for a better real world if we all just try a bit harder.

I know my optimism can be a little annoying to my more cynical friends and family members. But, I can’t help it. It’s not that I’m unaware of the horrible economy, high unemployment, crime, political unrest, and other devastating events occurring around the world. I am aware. My soul is troubled when I read or hear about people being hurt by these social maladies. So, it isn’t that I bury my head in the sand and pretend that everything is great. I know things aren’t great. But I always, always believe things can be better.

The holiday season inevitably brings out songs and movies and stories about keeping the spirit of Christmas alive in our hearts. Although that can be viewed as a trite and sentimental notion, it is worthy of serious consideration. Of course it can be platitudinous to speak of peace on earth and goodwill toward others at Christmastime, but it also really can be a way of life. We really can choose the way of kindness. We really can choose to alter our thoughts, actions, and words toward others and take a gracious and loving path throughout the entire year.

Early in December I saw this photo of my great-niece, Adalynn, on Facebook. I have to be honest and admit that my first response was shock at the realization that I am a great-aunt. Not that I didn’t know I am. I just hadn’t thought a lot about it. In my mind ‘great-aunt’ conjures up images of a much older woman than I consider myself to be. But, once I was able to get out of my own way and stop obsessing about that, I looked at the photo and analyzed what I saw in it. Several people commented that my great-niece is adorable…which she is. And that was my response as well. The image captures, perfectly, the childhood innocence of believing in Santa Claus. As I looked more deeply at the photo, however, it spoke of things much larger than a beautiful, happy, little girl awaiting Santa’s visit.

It spoke of hope.

What I see written on Adalynn’s precious face is joy, and promise, and anticipation. A belief in good things to come. I am aware that at 2½ she hasn’t yet faced any of life’s disappointments and pain. She doesn’t have any reason to be jaded and discouraged. But my wish for her is that even after she has experienced those things she will still view life with a hopeful expectation of something better. And that she will choose to live accordingly.

It is so easy to be discouraged and negative and cynical. We don’t have to look very hard for reasons. And yet, if we allow ourselves the complacency of negativity, we simply can’t make the world a better place. We have to look harder to find reasons for joy and hope…but they are there. And it doesn’t just have to be during the holiday season that we do our part.

Recently I came across this quote by Gladys Taber. I’m pretty sure if she and I had met we’d have been friends. As it is, she died in 1980, but it still feels as though I've met a kindred spirit. Gladys wrote: “In this season it is well to reassert that the hope of mankind rests in faith. As a man thinketh, so he is. Nothing much happens unless you believe in it, and believing there is hope for the world is a way to move toward it.”

I believe.