It is a Wonderful Life!

“Every time you hear a bell ring, it means that some angel’s just got his wings.”

This is one of my favourite Holiday Movies. “It’s a wonderful life, (1946) “. It doesn’t matter how many times I watch this movie it brings tears to my eyes. I am sure I am not alone in this. James Stewart plays George Bailey in the movie. It is a bittersweet tale of George who feels like a failure financially, becomes depressed with his state of affairs and is contemplating suicide on Christmas Eve. He wishes he was never born. Clarence, who plays his angel in the movie tries to teach him lessons and show him what life would be like without him.

This time of year can evoke such emotions in us. We often think of those loved ones who have departed, family members who may be ill or those ongoing family rifts. There are such expectations for this time of year. Often we expect everyone to be happy and merry in our gatherings. I guess it would make things a lot merrier if we could just all get along. My hope for the holiday season is to try to lower my expectations of others.

I really pondered the meaning of Christmas this past Monday morning, while waiting with my 7 year old daughter for her bus. She said “Mom is Santa a real person”?” I replied “Of course he is real, but he has magical powers; kind of like a superhero”. Her next question was “Well why do we have Christmas”? I then replied “Well we celebrate Christmas so we can all be together, like a party”. She said “Well why are we having a party”? I then told Meaghan “it is like a birthday party because we are celebrating the birthday of ‘Baby Jesus”. She then replied “Well who is Baby Jesus”. Well I am sure there would be more questions but the bus pulled up and picked up my little Meg’s and off she went. I went in the house poured myself yet another coffee and thought much about those questions which came from the “mouth of babes.”

I do love this season, not just for the gift giving but for the true meaning of Christmas. To me it seems the world is just a little kinder this time of year. We all seem to be a little more generous with our fellow man. Many of us try to help out those less fortunate. There just seems to be a spirit which seems to flow more in the air than other times of the year. Perhaps it makes those cold winter days and nights a little warmer,brighter with the lights flickering, the stocking hung, the logs in the fire.

I hope you will have many happy times with your family and friends and celebrate the magic of the season which is upon us. You just have to believe. Do you believe? I love the end of the movie when George Bailey despite all his adversities realizes all he has and declares “It is a wonderful life!”

Clarence: “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many lives, when he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he”?

Talk soon ~

Nancy