It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it- overspending… the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma—the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to bypass the usual shirts, sweaters, ties and so forth. I reached for something special just for Mike. The inspiration came in an unusual way.
Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, was wrestling at the junior level at the school he attended; and shortly before Christmas, there was a non-league match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church, mostly black. These youngsters, dressed in sneakers so ragged that shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them together, presented a sharp contrast to our boys in their spiffy blue and gold uniforms and sparkling new wrestling shoes. As the match began, I was alarmed to see that the other team was wrestling without headgear, a kind of light helmet designed to protect a wrestler?ears. It was a luxury the ragtag team obviously could not afford.
Well, we ended up walloping them. We took every weight class. And as each of their boys got up from the mat, he swaggered around in his tatters with false bravado, a kind of street pride that couldn’t knowledge defeat.
Mike, seated beside me, shook his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing like this could take the heart right out of them.” Mike loved kids-all kids-and he knew them, having coached little league football, baseball and lacrosse.
That’s when the idea for his present came. That afternoon, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought an assortment of wrestling headgear and shoes and sent them anonymously to the inner-city church. On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note inside telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year and in succeeding years. For each Christmas, I followed the tradition—one year sending a group of mentally handicapped youngsters to a hockey game, another year a check to a pair of elderly brothers whose home had burned to the ground the week before Christmas, and on and on.
The envelope became the highlight of our Christmas. It was always the last thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their new toys, would stand with wide-eyed anticipation as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to reveal its contents. As the children grew, the toys gave way to more practical presents, but the envelope never lost its allure. The story doesn’t end there.
You see, we lost Mike last year due to dreaded cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was still so wrapped in grief that I barely got the tree up. But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, it was joined by three more. Each of our children, unbeknownst to the others, had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand even further with our grandchildren standing around the tree with wide- eyed anticipation watching as their fathers take down the envelope. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.
– Author Unknown-
Anonymous The season of christmas is just around the corner. Many people have had planned for holidays overseas and Northern and Central Europe are out in view of unpredictable weathers.
A season of remembering those less fortunate ones within our neighbourhood and community. The spirit of giving and receiving.
Well, the big question is, what is christmas actually all about ?
To the commercial world, a season of sales and to others a reason for partying. Drinking till the wee hours and as tomorrow will not be there.
The world at large has lost its direction as far as christmas is concern. Firstly, someone puts a date i.e 25th Dec as the day where Christ was born. I won't split hairs with that as it is just a day to remember something of great significant, thus a certain day was set aside for that.
Secondly, instead of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas, some not so smart goons added in Santa Claus. Just for the fun of getting the children excited, some invented stories of folk tales by telling them "white lies" that Santa will come riding on his reindeer on that fateful day by dropping gifts through the chimney.
Thirdly, many churches will sing on that fateful day, songs that relate to three wise men coming to see baby Jesus in the manger after being guided by the star. And the story goes on,.... on,...
I have no trouble with that date BUT I find the thing about Santa real weird. Why cooked up fairy tales to whitewash the real meaning of the birth of Jesus ? The birth of a saviour, the Messiah and the king of kings. Incidentally, Santa spelled the other way is Satan, the chief musician that comes to kill, steal and destroy for he wanted to be worshipped as God.
Just because gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh were mentioned, it was taken that three wise men came to visit Jesus.
When the true meaning of christmas is being distorted and commercialised with that day being just another day of holiday for the masses, I have to rest my case.
Truth must be told as it is and cannot be compromised. The man Jesus had been born, walked the earth with his disciple and crucified on the cross for our sins. Ressurected on the third day and ascend to heaven witness by his followers.
If such a man that came to us without any sin and died, suffering the most torturous death on the cross is not honoured rightfully, then the people of the world have indeed lost its direction. The truth is out there and spend time to reflect on the issue of eternity and the reality of Jesus who came just over 2000 years ago. May the spirit of the Lord convicts us of our sins and show us the way of redemption through Jesus, our saviour and the Lord of our lives during this Christmas season. Amen.