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The merry season comes and goes, and once the decorations are packed up, presents are opened and the celebrations draw to a close, so does the Christmas spirit, and all the love, thoughtfulness, and unity that it brings. But what is it that discourages us from celebrating this joyous feast all year round? This year, with all my kind greetings and wishes, I would like to send you a reminder about something that is better than the observance of Christmas day, and that is - keeping Christmas. |
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Are you willing…
...to forget what you have done for other people,
...to ignore what the world owes you,
...to put your rights in the background,
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Are you willing...
...to see that men and women are just as real as you are,
...to own up to the fact that probably the only good reason
...to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where |
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Are you willing to do these things even for a day? Then you can keep Christmas.
Are you willing to stoop down and consider And to remember the weakness and loneliness of people growing old? |
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Are you willing...
...to stop asking how much your friends love you,
...to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts to try to understand what those who live in the same home with you really want, without waiting |
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Are you willing...
...to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front
...to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden with an open gate for your kind feelings ? |
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Are you willing... ...to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world? Stronger than hate, stronger than evil, And that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem
Are you willing to do these things, even for a day? |
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Then you can keep Christmas.
And if you can keep it for a day, why not always? |
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Share this reflection with your loved ones to wish them a happy Christmas, this year, and every day... |
Words by Henry Van Dyke
