I recently caught one version of A Christmas Carol on television. Although there have been many versions of this classic story, they all stick pretty much to the same basic theme that we are all familiar with, from the original version by Charles Dickens. There was nothing particularly different about this one, but as I watched, I began to think about what my own Christmas Carol would be like. What would the Christmas ghosts reveal to me, were I in the place of Ebenezer Scrooge?
We would all like to think that our Christmas ghosts would have no surprises in store for us, but if we are honest, we have to admit that the ghost of Christmas past would probably be able to dig up a few occasions when we could have been kinder; a few opportunities where we could have been helpful to someone else, but were to busy or in to much of a hurry to bother with it. I can think of several occasions when I turned down invitations to go do things with my friends, when maybe they just really wanted to spend time with me, or maybe they were lonely and needed some company. Would my acceptance of their invitations made them have a better day? I wonder if it would show me things that I could have done that would have made it so my son would be here with us this Christmas day. Perhaps I could have been there to listen at some point when I did not take the time out to do so, and that one conversation would have let me say the right words to him, to give him strength in his time of pain.
I know my Christmas present could show me a lot of things that I currently regret, but I already know about those. I think that my Christmas past would reveal to me the relationships in my life that are not as good as they could be; the ones that I need to work on. My kids are scattered over Colorado, and I don’t get to see my grandkids much. It seems that we are always trying to plan a trip to see one or the other of them, but something always seems to get in the way. More often than not, it is a lack finances that prevent us from going to visit, so in some ways I may be more like Scrooge than I care to admit. Perhaps the ghost of Christmas present would show me what I could do differently, so that we could make those trips and get to know my grandchildren. I think relationships are one of the most valuable things that we can have; friends, family, and loved ones are more precious than many people are willing to acknowledge. To quote an unknown author, “A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty.” For me, this is the true meaning of Christmas. The kids will always love you when they open their presents, but when they show their love in the absence of gifts, that is the true spirit of Christmas.
Of course, Christmas future is the real mystery. That’s the one we’d all really like to see. I wonder what my current actions will bring about for Christmases to come. Would I see my own death, alone and unloved, as Eebenezer’s was? Or would I see the friends and family that I hold so dear, mourning my death and missing me at their own Christmas futures? It is something to ponder. I work in the health care field as a C.N.A. I have built relationships with each one of my residents. Even though some of them probably don’t know my name, their smiles light up when they see me and I know that I’m fulfilling an important role for them, but I don’t think that is who would be at my graveside. Yet, I do think that those relationships are important, because I feel that I make a difference in their lives. Margaret Fishback Powers once said,
“100 years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of
house I lived in, how much money I had in my bank account, nor what my
clothes looked like. But the world may be better because I was important in
the life of a child.”
I think that this statement is very true, but I would add that if you are important in the life of an individual, no matter what age, you have made a difference in the world. This is what is truly important in life; making a difference in the lives of others.
That may be the entire purpose of the story. Charles Dickens wanted us to think; to look inside of ourselves and consider what kind of Christmas Carol each one of us would have. I think that overall, I could accept what my Christmas ghosts have to show me. Could you live with what your ghosts would have to show you?
The Perfect Christmas
To make the perfect Christmas, all you need is love.
That’s all God had to offer, when he sent his son from above.
Christmas isn’t tinsel on the tree or billions of tiny lights,
You know what really matters, are those you kiss goodnight.
It isn’t Christmas cookies, baked to a golden brown,
But the time that’s shared in making them; all the children hanging round.
Christmas isn’t presents either, as so many seem to think.
It’s the spirit that they’re given in, love flowing to the brink.
So before you pull out the decorations, and start trimming up the tree,
Bake Christmas treats, sing out the carols, and wrap the gifts so neat,
Stop and take a moment, to reflect on what Christmas is really about.
If you can feel the love around you, tell the world; just shout it out.
Copyright ©2009 Kaye Lynne Booth
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