This behavior, some might call it “expectation”, and what it
does, lays the groundwork for later actions. Sooner than later, there is a
minor shift created by parents, television and the community at large. (It is
that early work with fictional characters: The Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny,
Leprechauns, Gold at the end of the rainbow, The Great Pumpkin and I won’t even
say it but, you know who I am thinking of. (The business Anne Rice started with
Vampires a few years back and now the Zombie thing has left me speechless on
those issues.) It all creates a theater which asks us to withhold judgment, go
with the flow and buy into the commerce and creativity associated with
holidays. But hold on, there is a lovely side to this world of imagination.
There are things that happen in this world that are often
not of it. The stories of these events emerge from real life and imaginary
circumstances. My favorite Christmas Story is “The Gift of the Magi” by O.
Henry. It is my favorite because it represents love so unselfish that what is
given to one another is the most important material possession each of them
have and it is given because each of them can see that and wish to honor it.
You’ll have to read it if you want more than that.
The Saginaw News, the local newspaper in my home town, would
run a serial story during the season that culminated on Christmas Day. My
sister, Jo Ann read it to me before I could read it myself. Sometimes it took
her an awfully long time to get around to it but, she read it. Each segment
would take you to a cliff of expectation and leave you hanging on it till the
next day and then the same thing would happen again. Following the crescendo of
expectation the little boy or the little girl would have a magical experience
that had seemed out of range before that.
There are many stories that come from believing so sincerely
that the event occurs as a manifestation of that belief. The magic is the believing. Call it faith,
trust, or hope, it doesn’t matter. When you are fortunate enough to have a
small child to hold in your arms during the Christmas holiday season, do it.
Then, as you are holding them sit in a chair and rock and remember your
childhood, your children’s childhood and your grandchildren. Now, believe that
their lives will be filled with wonder and beauty and work as hard as you can
to make it possible. That is the magic of believing.
Herb Ratliff, December 11, 2011, All Rights Reserved
Beautiful thoughts, Herb. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMy belief in anything magical or mystical has waned to nearly nothing. But I still encourage it in my grandchildren who so eagerly embrace the possibilities.
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