A Christmas Story

[carol ann parisi]

I love the example that children can be to us adults

at Christmas time. They are so into everything about 

the Christmas season. 

 

They love Santa, they love the Baby Jesus. They think

Mary is awesome. They love the sparkly lights, snowmen, 

reindeer, making angels in the snow and snow globes….

especially those with music boxes.  

 

They want to leave Santa cookies and milk so he doesn’t

get hungry. They are so excited and happy that we 

parents and grand parents want to snap photographs 

of their cheerful faces and record their antics on our 

latest video camera. 

 

Ahhh to be young again. WAIT! We can! 

 

Here is a story about the goodness and kindness of 

children that warms the heart and reminds us of what

is really important.

 

Last Christmas Mary Ann was visiting parents. Here is her story.................................................

 The day was frightfully cold, with swirls of snow in the air 

and I was looking out of the living room window of my

folks’ home which faces St. Mary’s church. 

 

Workmen had just finished constructing the annual 

Nativity scene in the church yard in the churchyard

when school let out for the day. Children gathered 

excitedly around the crèche, but they didn’t stay long; 

it was far to cold for lingering.

 

All the children hurried away – except for a tiny girl of

about six. The wind lashed at her bare legs and caused 

her coat to fly open in the front, but she was oblivious 

to the frosty weather. All her attention was riveted on 

the statues before her. Which one I couldn’t tell. Was

it Mary? The Baby? The animals? I wondered.

 

And then I saw her remove her blue woolen head scarf. 

The cold wind quickly knotted her hair into a wild tangle, 

but she didn’t seem to notice that either. 

 

She had only one thought. Lovingly she wrapped her 

scarf around the statue of Baby Jesus. After she had 

covered it, she patted the Baby and then kissed it 

on the cheek. Satisfied, she skipped on down the 

street, her hair frosted with tiny diamonds of ice.  

 

In the sweet, pure, still learning young mind of that 

little girl we see the beauty found in kindness. Oblivious 

to the fact that the Baby Jesus statue could not feel the 

cold she reached out and gave from her heart to warm 

even though it meant she would be cold. 

 

That is what the real spirit of Christmas is all about….

pure, unadulterated, willingness to give because we 

care and want to bring comfort, joy and happiness 

to someone else. 

 

Let’s all try to a bit more childlike this Christmas and 

enjoy the true reason for the season. God Bless US Everyone,

 Merry CHRISTmas....YOU ARE LOVED!