The Keepers of Christmas
It’s a wintry mix kind of day. The sky is obscured with an unending blanket of gray that will never brighten and yield to an increasingly earlier sunset and only to be swallowed up by the long winter darkness.
It’s always windy this time of year, and that makes the dead cold of winter even more foreboding. The winter solstice has yet to come yet winter surrounds me. The once vibrant trees which were bursting with life just a few weeks ago, now stand brittle, dull, creaking skeletons swaying under the mournful gray of nature’s sky-canvas. That canvas will stay with us until spring decides to appear from the barren frozen ground.
Christmas is less than three weeks away. And, of course, some still refuse to call it Christmas — as if saying the word somehow entangles them in some kind of religious denomination or organization.
Christmas is not “Happy Holidays”, it’s Christmas. If someone does not want to call it “Christmas” they should not be taking time off work, exchanging gifts, or celebrating… no one will force them to. But, of course, they will anyway. Christmas doesn’t exist to them, but they will be hypocrites and celebrate what they love to deny.
Many of those who shun Christmas will still be glowing in the revelry of Christmas, though. You’ll see them putting up Christmas trees, shopping for gifts, and knocking back a drink or two… and celebrating the very holiday they deny.
I’m tired of politics. I’m tired of hypocrites. I’m tired of deniers and liars and “influencers”. I just want Christmas to be the way it always was. I’ll admit it was getting harder to find the spirit of Christmas, it is so often is buried in cultural upheaval and politics.
Christmas has become an easy target for deniers and hypocrites who can’t stand to be part of anything they don’t understand — or don’t want to understand — and won’t take the time to understand.
This year, I was having an extremely hard time finding the spirit of Christmas. I will not deny it. I had a very difficult time convincing myself that Christmas would endure much past my generation. I couldn’t shake off the dust and dirt the world has piled upon it.
Then something happened.
I received a picture from my youngest son. It was a picture of my two-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter holding her teddy bear out to her Christmas tree.
The innocence and sweetness touched me… and made me stop and think.
I realized then that Christmas does not come from outside ourselves, it comes from within; Christmas lives in our hearts.
If I keep Christmas in my heart, and you keep Christmas in yours, Christmas will never die, no matter how much some people try to kill it or deny it.
So, you and I are the keepers of Christmas. We keep the magic alive so that our children, our children’s children, and their children, will know the meaning and the magic of Christmas. They will know because Christmas lives on in our hearts. We are the keepers of Christmas and because of us, future generations will know the magic and the spirit of Christmas.
We have an important job – us keepers of Christmas. The future of Christmas depends on us. No matter how much the world changes, no matter how much the deniers try to kill it, no matter what happens in this crazy world, Christmas will live on because of us. And as long as we keep Christmas alive in our hearts, the true meaning of Christmas, the story of Christmas, and the magic of Christmas… Christmas will never die.
Christmas is not about what others do – it’s about what we do. Christmas is not about what others say, it’s about what we say. We are entrusted with keeping the Christmas spirit and magic of Christmas alive despite and in spite of the obtuse labyrinth and craziness that surrounds us.
No one can take away Christmas as long as we, the keepers of Christmas, persevere.
Christmas is not a date on the calendar, it’s a place in our hearts. And as long Christmas lives in our hearts, Christmas will live on.
It’s up to us to keep the true meaning and spirit of Christmas alive. If we keep Christmas in our hearts and keep Christmas well – Christmas will live forever.
We are the keepers of Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
Dear Darcy, TC
How cute and magical is the little Christmas motive you have on your Cloudeight internet page at the moment. It makes Christmas seem so magical. Still miss the wonderful stationery days that also made Christmas so exciting and friendly to one and all. Always a pity to see the glory days go.
Hope that you both have a wonderful Christmas and thank you for over the years making Christmas such a special place for so many. Take care and stay safe and hope that the little man in the red suit is good to both of you. A very Merry Christmas and a much better New Year.
Kindest regards as always,
Maggie (N.Z. Kiwi).
I love this! Thank you. Please never stop writing from your heart to us, who are your readers. Merry Christmas from my dog and me to you.
A lovely reflection EB and Darcy. Let’s keep “Christ” in “Christmas”. But may I ask: “Where does the word ‘Christmas’ come from?”. I think it refers to “Christ’s – Mass”. Ah yes. that is what the early Christians called December 25 for the past 2 thousand give or take years…a day chosen from antiquity as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I think that day was chosen to counteract the pagan celebrations of the Solstice. To believe in Christmas is not to entangle ourselves in a religion. It is the celebration of a historical truth that has been revealed to us. Yes we can chose to accept that reality or refuse to embrace it. But to refuse or deny it is very sad for our world. Today we find the return of pagan (non believers) celebrations who want to throw out the “Christ” element. Happy Holidays? I don’t think so. Merry Christmas to all Christmas Keepers.
Thank you so much for this. I was really feeling down, and just wanted all the holidays to be over. So much hate going on. The picture of your granddaughter and her teddy bear brought me back to what Christmas is all about. It’s up to us to keep it safe and share its spirit even those with hate-filled hearts. Thank you again.
Thank you, EB, for sharing this piece. I shared links to it on several Telegram channels I visit. So hopefully it will be spread much further as a result. Good heart need some encouragement like this.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
Charles
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Thank You and Darcy for a beautifully written memory of what Christmas is. I will forever say “Merry Christmas” to the store keeper, to the grocery lady who checks me out,to the bank teller and to anyone I run into from now till Christmas. Most people smile some frown and some have nothing to say. It’s OK. I have the spirit within and I understand some people are not as lucky as I am to be able to see what Christmas is truly about.
Yes, never forget the magic of Christmas as seen through a child’s eyes.
Beautifully written.
Merry Christmas and God bless you both.
Thank you so much for another beautifully written essay and yes, Merry Christmas to you and Darcy!! We all must be keepers of Christmas and remember what the true story behind the tradition. Celebration of the birth of Christ and not all the hoop-la of presents, Santa Claus, and all of commercialism. A baby was born, sent to save us all from our sins (and we all have sinned, it is human nature) and in that alone should make us all rejoice, not for all the presents we may receive…..yep, I am a keeper of Christmas and always will be! Thank you TC and Darcy for all you do and keep on being Keepers of Christmas! Beautiful photo of your granddaughter and may God bless you both and your family.
This is one of the best Christmas essays I’ve ever read. I hope a lot of people read this. Thank you so much for this. Donna
Thank you, and… Merry Christmas!
Darcy and TC: Bravo! This is a wonderful essay. Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Darcy and TC
Blessings to both of you and thank you for this wonderful messaged. Take care and say well!
Thank you for your thoughts, both of you.
Ruth Rayna
Such a wonderfully written piece!!! Thank you for adding the darling picture.
May your days all be merry and bright and maybe all the roads not so slippery and white.
God bless you both and keep you safe and well.
Merry Christmas!!!!
Char
Merry Christmas Darcy and TC! Love Your Essay also!
Love this!!
Merry Christmas!
Love your essays, this one especially with the great pic. Merry Christmas to you both
Your essays are always so heart felt and the pic was priceless 🙂 I have always been a Teddy Bear fan and how they help with love and learning. Merry Christmas, Holly 🙂