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Friday December 22, 2017 Edition
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A Christmas Story

Christmas meaning.
photo by Lindsay Gallison
Christmas meaning.

Friday December 22, 2017

By Cookie Steponaitis

Unwrapping the layers of Christmas holidays is similar to unwrapping the package cared for by the tape expert. At each end there are layers of tape with strategic support pieces crisscrossing at corners or unexpected angles that jut out from the fine lines of the wrapping. And like the process of wrapping a gift, there are just as many ways to get into it. Some ‘un’ wrappers tear, others carefully tease the gift from the layers of paper and the most devoted, the folders, carefully store the wrapping paper for use again next season. Yet for all the ways there are to package and unwrap the holidays the essence of Christmas is actually quite succinct and a true blessing.
    For those folks for whom Jesus or God is the reason for the season, faith is beginning, end and focal point of the Christmas season. The belief in God, his son and the miracle of life and death is discussed, celebrated and holds station as the focal point of the holiday process. People who come to Christmas through faith are often found singing and making time during the hubbub of the winter rush to attend worship services and reach out to others who cannot attend.
    For those more wedded to the traditions of home, family and food, the Christmas season is a never-ending cornucopia of treasured recipes, baking cookies, decking out a tree, hot chocolate, wrapping presents and gathering of generations from near and far. It is a time to tell stories of the past, remember moments of great joy and sorrow and celebrate the gleam in the eyes of children as they search the night sky for a sleigh or swear they hear the slight dancing of hooves on the roof. There is a wonder in the world as the snow piles high and children wait with anticipation to hear a snow day declared.
    For those who have holidays marked by the loss of loved ones, the merriment carries an undertone of loss and sadness. In reflection and remembrance there is both joy and the realization that people are missing from the table and while their photos adorn the mantles and memories are resolute in the hearts of those here, someone who is loved is not present at the festivities. It is customary for some of these holiday dwellers to make certain that the holidays of others are just a little brighter and happier. They go out of their way to share and showcase the heart of service to make sure people are fed, clothed and not alone on the holidays.
    For those just starting out on life’s journey, the Christmas or holiday season is a magical time. It is when the laws of gravity and reality are suspended and the concept of universal love and giving are front and center. These little holiday makers bring a visual joy to those around them and put a lighter step in our feet as we trod the paths to work, stores, gatherings and vacation time.
    For those who have witnessed many Christmas seasons, the passage of time is more acutely registered with the reality of more holidays past than those guaranteed ahead. Yet, there is a calm in the minds of those who have made the meal, cleaned the house and seen the family through two and three generations of holidays that all things shall pass as they are intended. The cutting of the tree is a joyful event as is simply sitting and talking.
    So where does that leave those not young, old, faith based, family centered, or those still looking for their own meaning in the holiday season? It leaves everyone at the same point. Unwrapped, unlabeled, and unfettered by tinsel, decorations, politics or even geography; the holiday season is about love. It is about choosing to spend time, share stories and reaching out in whatever way possible to make the lives of others better. This is as simple as it gets. As the New York Sun reporter wrote to little eight year-old Virginia Hanlon in 1897, “Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.”
    So grab your loved ones, hold them tight and find a way to still reach out to those in need as the holiday season is upon us. No matter what you call it, where you worship or if you don’t, if you give presents or simply give of yourself, remember that for the next few weeks, disengage the politics and realities of the time. Engage your childlike wonder of the world and find that eternal light that allows for fairies, magic, Santa Claus and a world where someday peace may reign.
    From the Valley Voice to you, from our hearts to yours, may your holidays be bright and may the light of friendship and community that we have held with you for the past forty-three holiday seasons carry us into the blessings of many more. And yes, as Tiny Tim would say, “God bless us everyone.”


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