First, I love the lights and decorations that bring a home or street alive with their twinkling bulbs that break through the darkness. In January the world goes back to being bare, but for this one month, lights turn our world into a starry wonderland.
Second, I love the music. For over seventy years I've heard and sung the familiar Christmas Carols so now they are as much a part of me as my heart beat. My favorite for years has been I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day with its stanza:
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.'
Third, I love the smells of Christmas. From the fir trees, to the gingerbread men, to eggnog, to the scent of bread dough rising. These smells all bring back the cozy comfort of home.
Finally, I love the smiles and cheerful greetings of everyone I meet in December. For in the smiles and cheerfulness one gets a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, that little babe born in Bethlehem did indeed bring peace on earth goodwill toward men. For one month a year anyway.
In the spirit of Christmas, I wrote the following:
Christmas Magic
Linda Loegel
The two-year-old toddles across the room
And claps his chubby hands in delight
At the wondrous sight of a Christmas tree
Draped with a hundred twinkling lights
The old man in his nineties
His heart bursting with joy
Closes his eyes and mouths the words
To the carols sung by neighborhood boys
While she arranges the nativity scene
The new mother cradles her son
Feeling a special bond with Mary, now
Kneeling beside her precious one.
The ten-year-old rolls out the dough
Flour and cinnamon all over her face
She adds sprinkles, candy, and icing
And laughs at the cookies she’s made
The woman’s pen poises over the cards
Addressed to her dearest friends
Each person’s name brings a smile to her face
And a remembrance of a special time and place
At this time of year we celebrate
The gift of sounds, and smells, and sights
That brings the magic of Christmas
To all, and to all, a “Good Night.”
Merry Christmas to all of you, my friends and family.
Today's Quote: I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. Charles Dickens--A Christmas Carol.
