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Christmas lesson is more good than bad
(by Christine Thome - December 28, 2011)
Christmas lesson is more good than bad
'Twas the week after Christmas
And Santa sat and thought,
Has the Christmas spirit
disappeared,
Now that all the gifts
have been bought?
Has kindness and grace
That once shone a plenty
Been reduced to bills and misery
Right down to the very last penny?
Is the media correct
That Americans are greedy
And care only for themselves
Not those who are hungry,
scared or bleeding?
So Santa decided
To see for himself
If the Christmas spirit
Had been stored away on a shelf
He disguised himself in rags
And dirty, torn britches
Gone was the white beard
And the red bag full of riches.
He descended upon
A village small and warm
With a dog and bike
in the front yard
It seemed the American norm.
He peered in the window
And watched the father pay
A mountain of bills
That arrived after Christmas Day.
As he placed a stamp
on the Visa statement
Santa knew it was not paid in full
Yet the man grabbed more envelopes
And with great concentration
he did mull.
Hunger centers and Meals on Wheels
These worthy organizations
Need more money
To continue their determination.
With what little money was left
The man began to write more checks
The amounts weren't large
And each organization received
the same as the next.
Santa smiled brightly
Because this man certainly knew
The importance of neighbors
And helping those
less fortunate than you.
Not just at Christmas time
But throughout time and place
Because the only thing
that separates us
Is our own state of grace.
Santa walked into town
And was surprised to find
People still going out of their way
To be helpful, nice, and kind.
Doors were held open
For strangers and friends
And warm greetings
were happily exchanged
Around every bend.
As he stared in the Starbucks
Through the frosted window pane
He noticed a little girl
Making her way through the lane.
She caught Santa's eye
And gave him a wink
But before he could smile back
She was gone in a blink.
Suddenly appearing beside him
She held in her hand,
Warm milk and cookies
And not the store-bought brand.
"How did you know?"
Santa asked with surprise
He knew kids today were smart
But not this wise.
"You've come to check on us
To see if we've
Carried the Christmas spirit
Beyond Christmas Eve.
We're not perfect
That's certainly true
But what you've taught us
We already knew.
Kindness, grace and love
Isn't something to give once a year
It's important to do these things
Every time you hear
A sob of despair
Or a friend who needs a smile
No matter the time of year
We must go the extra mile.
For toys will break
And clothes will shrink
We mustn't worry so much
What others might think.
Christmas reminds us
That we can be
Better people than
What the mirror sees.
We can carry this spirit
Throughout the year
And be there for family and friends
Both far and near."
How could a girl
So little and bright
Be smarter than Santa
And make everything seem right?
"I believe in you Santa
And now it's your turn
To believe in humanity
And to let us learn
That through laughter, sadness
And even tears
The gift of ourselves
Is the best gift
every day of the year."
Santa began to relax
And his worry subsided
For this little girl
Showed him he was misguided.
There is more good than bad
In the world today
But we must be diligent
And not let it slip away.
As Santa turned to go
He could hear the little girl say
Let the Christmas spirit live on
Each and every day!
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