It used to be a holiday tradition for our family to watch Christmas specials together. On a daily basis, we’d scour the newspaper or TV Guide to find out when Charlie Brown Christmas, The Grinch, It’s a Wonderful Life and other specials would be on television.
As our children got older, started working, began dating and left for college and boarding school, it’s become a challenge to get the four of us together to keep this tradition going. Recently it’s been very hit or miss and we’ve probably missed more than we’ve hit the last several years.
On Tuesday evening, my son James organized our schedules so that we could watch a VHS copy of Charlie Brown Christmas together. We had to watch it on an old television (non-plasma) that still has a VCR attached to it. My wife and I sat on our leather sectional with our son, daughter and my daughter’s very cool boyfriend and enjoyed watching and listening to each other laugh.
There are several reasons that it’s a good practice to re-read or re-watch material many times. One reason is that we only allow information that is pertinent and relevant to be processed. All of the other information is blocked-out as excess, useless information. Another reason is that as our life experiences change, we react differently to the same information when we read it or see it the second or 35th time.
As I watched Schroeder playing the piano, I thought about how many times that James (my son) has played those songs and what a phenomenal pianist he’s become.
I watched Frieda (the girl with the naturally curly hair) and remembered Emily (my daughter) playing that part in a school play. In that same play, James was Schroeder. My 15 and 20 year old kids have really grown up.
The same issues that Charles Schultz wrote about in 1964 are the same ones that we’re dealing with today.
- Overly ostentatious lights
- The commercialization of Christmas
- Charlie Brown’s feeling like something’s missing from the holy day
Charlie’s quiet, blanket-sporting friend Linus unassumingly comes to his rescue and points out to him exactly what the real meaning of Christmas is-Christ.
Emily bought the It’s a Wonderful Life DVD for me as a gift recently so that we could watch it whenever we want. I’m so happy that she enjoys that movie as much as I do. My Dad made me and my siblings watch it when we were kids and I will be forever grateful to him.
Last night, Emily let me know that the original cartoon version of The Grinch was on at 8AM. We made a date with each other to watch The Grinch at 8AM and then watch It’s a Wonderful Life at 8:30. What a great evening I was looking forward to.
At 8AM, my in-laws, Carolyn (my wife), Emily, Cosmo (our dog) and I settled onto the couch for an evening of family Christmas togetherness.
I used to enjoy The Grinch because of the animation, the songs, the Who’s, Boris Karloff’s voice and Max (The Grinch’s dog). Last night, I had significantly different reactions to this familiar animated classic. I thought about how The Grinch transformed his life as a result of a single thought – maybe Christmas is not about the toys, trees and presents…… That thought caused his heart to grow 3 sizes. I thought about how often my heart grows in love or compassion at the realization of a new thought or way of thinking.
I noticed how The Who’s got up on Christmas morning and completely disregarded the fact that all of their gifts, decorations and food had been stolen. They immediately assembled in the center of Whoville and began singing Fah who for-aze! Dah who dor-aze! Are we capable of disregarding everything in our life that is unimportant and focus on God and each other like The Who’s? Yes, we are capable.
I really paid attention to the lyrics from Welcome Christmas (Fah who for-aze) and noticed these gems:
Christmas day will always be
Just so long as we have we
Welcome all Who’s
Far and near
I realized that we are all Who’s. We are all equal. No single Who is better or more valuable than any other Who.
Just as long as we have God and each other, nothing else matters! Can we bottle that thought and keep it with us for the next 364 days???
After that uplifting cartoon, we enjoyed 130 minutes of smiles and tears in It’s A Wonderful Life. Here are a few of my observations from a movie that seems to get better each year:
It’s always best when we’re working together with God: George Bailey had very specific goals for his life but it appeared that God had other plans for him. I thought to myself how many times that’s happened to me. Our will versus God’s will.
Love today: George had dinner with his Dad and during that dinner he told his Dad that he did not want to take over for him at the crummy-old building and loan. That same evening his Dad had a stroke and died shortly after. We never know when will be the last time that we’ll be with the people we love.
The tongue can be a very sharp instrument: I saw kind and loving George slap around his Uncle Billy after he’d lost the $8000 in cash. After that episode, George goes home and takes-out his financial problems on his beautiful wife and children. I thought about times when I’ve done the very same thing (hurt people with my words) and how sorry I am for each time that my words had hurt my wife or children.
Come to your senses quickly: In another scene, Mr. Potter tries to get George to come and work for him for $20,000 per year. At the time, George was earning $45/week at the Building and Loan that he owned. Mr. Potter was offering to pay him almost 10 times what he was earning! For less than a minute, George was tempted to take the cash until he learned that the Building & Loan would no longer exist.
Rely upon God: When George’s is at the end of his rope, he does what the rest of us would do at that point when nothing else seems to be working- he prays, God, please show me the way. Why do many of us only reach out to God in times of trouble instead of maintaining a relationship on a daily basis?
How cool would it be to be able to see what the world would be like if you had never been born? We don’t always realize how much we positively contribute to the world’s beauty.
I love George’s reaction to having his second prayer answered – God, please give me my life back!!! What was he thankful for in addition to his wife and children? The crummy old Building and Loan, the end cap on his stairway banister, his $8000 debt, the prospect of going to jail and his drafty, leaky old home. We tend not to appreciate anything until we don’t have it any more.
When the bell on the Christmas tree ornament rings and Clarence the Angel gets his wings, I think about living a life today that will be worthy of getting my own wings when it’s time.
Please send me your stories about your favorite parts of these or any other Christmas specials that have impacted you.
I am thankful for my family, the 15 degree weather in New England, my drafty, old home, my faith in God and for you.
Material gifts never replace the love shown with your words, kindness and compassion.
