As we sit here on Christmas Eve morning, I cannot help but reflect on the fact that I feel like I failed at Christmas this year. Last year, I did a much better job at fanning the flames of Christmas. It felt like the 20 degree Christmas Eve last year was the reward for a job well done. Well, this year it is about 70 degrees at the time that I write this. Last year, I successfully cultivated an appreciation for the old classic movies that I had either never seen or not seen in a long time. I read A Christmas Carol. I went and saw A Christmas Carol. I shopped at local stores for the lion’s share of all shopping. I found old Christmas tunes on the Grandma Hour on YouTube. I saw both of my parents at Christmas. My kid helped me put up the lights and take them down. This year, I have repeated most of those things. This year I added reading Silent Night so I could remind myself of the spirit of Christmas and to remind myself of who the real enemy is. I also read Chicken Soup for the Christmas Soul to see if those tales might help spark something. So why does it feel like it is missing something?
When I was a kid, Christmas was absolutely magical. I had great parents. I have great brothers and sisters. While we did not have much, I had every single thing that I needed. Shortly after that, I was blessed to meet the greatest person in the world at the age of fourteen. We started dating at the age of fifteen and being with her added some serious spark to the fires of the Christmas Spirit. I have been blessed to have won the greatest present in the world with her as my wife, and every single Christmas with that gift is a blessing. Shortly after that, I was blessed with the coolest kid on the planet. Maybe that is where the Spirit started to get comfortable. When you have a kid, you get to make Christmas a magical time for them and that gets you through the moment. I am surprised my kid still believes in Santa. I thought each of the last two years would be the last. That makes it a little easier to be in the Spirit. Or so I thought.
I had absolutely no intention of dusting off the laptop and writing as The Purple Guy today, but my brother sent me my post from last year.
That was my absolute favorite one to write. I read it again and I have to admit that it moved me. I mean this in the most humble way possible. I spent the past 24 hours rattling around thoughts and feelings in my head, so I figured that I would write them here. As always, on this Substack, I write what I write from the perspective of a father, a husband, a friend, etc. who is just trying his best to navigate the narratives of life and help protect his family and friends. It has politics involved, but it is, at least by intention, an effort to show what I believe is going on. It is, by no means, an argument that I am right, but rather a defense of a stance that I and my family will take on something. I am ready to accept the consequences of my actions. It just so happened, that I was right on the COVID jabs and I had successfully kept the majority of my family and friends away from that worthless death jab. That motivated me last year to write that article. I still stand by nearly every single thing in that post. I spent the entire year, acting like George Bailey. I spent the entire year keeping the spirit of Christmases of the Past, Present, and Yet-to-Come. What am I missing?
If you have met me in real life, I have two crazy swings in my personality. I am the kindest man to all strangers and to loved ones. I am goofy, giving, and I am always trying my best to be my best for everyone. I like to think this is me most of the time. I am rather optimistic about things and truly enjoy the interactions with my friends and the people of my corner of the world. Then, if pushed, I become the most stubborn man you will ever meet. Honestly, that part of me comes out in most of my entries on here. I thought that was what made the above entry on here, my best one. It was a bit of both. It was the George Bailey that I aspired to be crossed with the little bit of a changed man in Ebenezer Scrooge. Those two stories mean a lot to me. I like to think that the two overarching themes of those two stories have made my life better. In It’s a Wonderful Life, the overarching theme is that success of life is measured by the lives you touch and impact for the better. You never know when or how you might influence those around you, but if you meet people with the best version of yourself, you have the best opportunity to meet them where they are at. This allows you to make your corner of the world a better place. I think that is really all that we can do on this planet. I think that is the point of this life. I strive to do that every single day. It does not mean that I do it all the time. That is why the story is so great. George Bailey is a human. He felt sorry for himself that night on Christmas Eve. Maybe that is what is happening to all of us when we feel as if we lost the Christmas Spirit when we get older. May we always realize that with a change in perspective, we can simply be grateful for the chance to change so many lives for the better and go home to our loving families in a home that we built together. It is important to remember that. Nothing that happened to him changed on Christmas Eve except for a new perspective. We can always change our perspectives by being grateful.
The overarching theme of A Christmas Carol is that it is never too late to change. If you open up your heart and humble yourself, you can change to the person that you aspire to be and the people around you need. I happened to have learned that lesson a few years back. I have written before that I am a recovered alcoholic. I am about six and a half years sober at the time that I write this. On Christmas Eve, my younger sister also quit drinking. I am proud of her. Today we celebrate her sixth year of sobriety. I almost screwed my entire life up. I had wasted about a decade of my life, and almost lost the things that I love the most. If my wife was not the greatest person on the planet, she probably would have left me. I would not be sitting here writing this today if she had not been the loving and understanding wife like that of Mary Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. She could have kicked George to the curb after his epic meltdown on Christmas Eve, but instead she rallied the troops and prayed for George. I am forever grateful for that day when I was fourteen in which I met her. Every Christmas with her is the ultimate gift. With that kindness and help, she pulled me from the depths of Hell and we have been working on making our corner of the world a better place ever since. Again, what am I missing?
The third and final story that I enjoy every single Christmas is the subtle reminder that this day is the celebration of the birth of Christ. I watch A Charlie Brown Christmas every single year. Linus’ speech is my all-time favorite.
Every Christmas Eve, we go to the candlelight sermon and we sing Christmas songs at our church. Singing “Silent Night” by candlelight always gets me. It has become one of my favorite things about Christmas. So, as I chase the Christmas Spirit this year or wonder where it went, I think the ultimate reminder of what Christmas is about is that our Savior was born on this day. In the end, that is what it is about. This day is not about me. This day is not about you. While we are here on this planet, it is important to remember that.
While we are here waiting, remember that we can make our tiny corner of the world a better place. If we falter or forget that, it is never too late to change. Those three stories remind us of what matters. I believe that is why those stories are so loved. I believe that is why there are seemingly endless versions of A Christmas Carol. I believe that is why the overarching theme of It’s a Wonderful Life shows up in other movies and shows. May this fact help guide my wife and her wonderful parents through a tough time as tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the last time that my wife saw her brother in this life. May Christmas serve as a reminder that they will see him again. May this excerpt from this show help maybe guide them through this tough time as they look for meaning in the time that they are here without him.
This is another story with the theme of It’s a Wonderful Life. I think that is all we can do is to strive to make our little corners of the world a better place. He lost his wife and was feeling as if he lost every single thing that mattered. He seemingly learned both the lessons of Ebenezer and George. To make our lives and the ones of those we are blessed to have in our lives, more like Bedford Falls. A place where we can protect ourselves from the perverts in Hollywood, the tyrannical federal government, the impending collapse of the dollar, etc. I think deep down, we know this. I think it is a goal worth fighting for. I think that is all we can do in this life. I hope this guides us through this time, not just Christmas, but year round. In 2024, I promise to write more. I promise to try my best to navigate the narratives, and ,at the very least, try to make my corner of the world a better place. I wish you all the Merriest of Christmases. Thank you for reading.