Michelle Casey, Untitled, Collage/Mixed Media, 7.5 x 12 inches, 2013. Quote: "Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness." by K. Vonnegut
This past week, I’ve nursing a terrible cold which just seems to be clinging on to me for dear life. Despite my lack of sleep, I saved up enough energy to create a brand new collage to share with you (inspired by a Kurt Vonnegut quote) along with a short, sweet seasonal reflection.
A few days ago on my daily walk through the shopping mall, I saw a store Santa descending the escalator to greet his young visitors. Treading carefully at length behind him, I noted his elderly gait (good, I thought, at least they picked someone the right age!); he could have been just another senior walking through the mall if it wasn’t for his red suit and white beard. Signalling his arrival, he stepped into character… heartily ho, ho’ing while jiggling a set of bells as a flurry of excited whispers filled the air around him. Parents and kids alike eagerly awaited his entrance. Laughter exploded into applause as he took his seat amongst the children. Jaded as I am in my old age, I reflected upon the power of myth of Santa Claus and how it’s held many of us spellbound for ages. People come and go in our lives, but the memory of Santa is always ever present in the child in us… waiting to be rekindled when we least expect it… and not just to buy presents but sometimes just to recall the times gone by we’ve loved…
Over the years, because my Christmases have been gradually filled with unhappy memories, I’ve become a little Scroogey in terms of holiday spirit… I guess you could say I’ve lost the ho, ho, ho in me. I wasn’t always like that, though. Once, Christmas was my favourite time of year. I loved its rituals: helping my Mom bake cakes and cookies; assisting Dad decorate the house and tree; making Christmas cards with my sisters and, best of all, watching holiday animated films featuring Santa Claus and his friends (Rudolph, Frosty, The Grinch and Jack Skellington). Along with the baking and the decorating this latter aspect of Christmas seemed to make him even more real for us. I barely slept Christmas Eve in anticipation of Santa’s arrival. Christmas morning was always one great surprise followed by a wonderful breakfast with my family and a big dinner party at night with relatives and lots of good East Indian food eating! One memorable Christmas, my youngest sister Teresa was born – and to us, that was just the cherry on the sundae of that holiday! Those were the days when Christmas seemed so big and bright. Anyway, all this to say, that as that mall Santa descended the stairs, instead of rolling my eyes as I usually do, to my surprise, I smiled and tears filled my eyes as a flurry of fond childhood Christmas memories lit up my mind. And perhaps, like the famous Grinch, I think in that moment maybe my heart that has grown tiny over the years, grew three sizes bigger this week! It was so great to feel such a surge of positive energy from my Christmases past… thanks, Santa 🙂
Other Related Links/(My Favourite Christmas Movies):
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
The Nightmare before Christmas (excerpt)
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