Where Are You Christmas

This song is rapidly becoming one of my, if not my favorite Christmas song.  This, along with the beautiful song, "My Grown Up Christmas List" that I referenced several days ago.  But I look upon this song and its meaning of not letting the idea of what Christmas is all about fade away.  I'm not just referring to the idea that we so often take Christ out of this time of the year, but that random acts of kindness seem to take place at this time of the year.  The local radio stations begin playing Christmas songs usually just after Thanksgiving to get people "in the mood" and then will stop usually just a day or two after Christmas.  Why does Christmas, or at least the idea of what it is about leave us, Dec. 26th?  With the recent tragedy in Sandy Hook School, people are taking up the cause of doing 26 random acts of kindness.  This time of the year is also familiar with giving and sharing.  People are donating turkeys, volunteering at the local shelters, finding homes for the homeless, paying off the layaway balances for customers at Wal Mart.  Do we need a particular time of the year to remind us to do this?  I'm aware that there are isolated incidents that occur throughout the year but the awareness seems to be only heightened at Christmas.

"Where are you Christmas
Do you remember
The one you used to know
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done
Is that why you have let me go"

As Faith sings in this verse, is it Christmas that has "let her go"?  No, we've let Christmas go...on Dec. 26th or some time soon after.  If only we can keep that verve or sense of favor in our hearts the other 364 days during the year.  It's something that I try to impress upon my kindergartners, hard that it is, since their world revolves around an X-Box, or the latest video game, or Transformer.  But as I try to leave in their hearts that "Santa"doesn't just come once a year to deliver their presents but he sits deep inside of them each and every day as he looks out for them and that the love that exists there doesn't just fade away on Dec. 26th.  To keep it there, "the joy of Christmas stays inside us and fills each and every heart with love".

Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad, Piper and Dancer....I miss you