On the Tenth Day of Christmas ~ Tradition

For some the annual decorating of the tree holds treasured customs of celebrating Christmas.  

What Shayla and I revered amongst all of the holiday festivities was the watching of Christmas movies. 

 

There was the long-established re-watching of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. I would laugh at the same parts, although seen countless times over; I never grew tired of the dog with the sawed off antlers. 

Shayla loved “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and we eventually bought it. I recall her as a teenager pulling it out and laughing to her heart’s content. I own “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and for me the nostalgic yet riveting message of hope over despair, resonates within me.

One year, before the holidays began, I heard a song that made me sit on a chair and listen to the following words by the band Newsong.

 (The Christmas Shoes):  

http://youtu.be/_fKI50MhzVM

 

It was almost Christmas time

There I stood in another line

Tryin' to buy that last gift or two

Not really in the Christmas mood

Standing right in front of me was

A little boy waiting anxiously

Pacing 'round like little boys do

And in his hands he held a pair of shoes

And his clothes were worn and old

He was dirty from head to toe

And when it came his time to pay

I couldn't believe what I heard him say

Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my mama, please

It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size

Could you hurry, sir, daddy says there's not much time

You see she's been sick for quite a while

And I know these shoes would make her smile

And I want her to look beautiful, if mama meets Jesus tonight

He counted pennies for what seemed like years

Then the cashier said, "Son, there's not enough here"

He searched his pockets frantically

Then he turned and he looked at me

He said, "Mama made Christmas good at our house

Though most years she just did without

Tell me sir, what am I going to do

Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes"

So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out

And I'll never forget the look on his face when he said

"Mama's gonna look so great"

I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love

As he thanked me and ran out

I knew that God had sent that little boy

To remind me what Christmas is all about… 

By the end of the song, I was in tears imagining what a sight that would be to experience! If one is interested in knowing the validity of the actual story, turns out it is more of a source of inspiration than actual fact. Regardless, the song did encourage a book to be written by Donna VanLiere, called: “The Christmas Shoes,” and later a CBS movie by the same title.

When my daughter came for the holidays one year, I had bought the movie (secretly, I had already seen it and bawled through most of it). It did not take long before Shayla, tears streaming down her cheeks, asked how could I be so mean to make her watch such a heart-wrenching story? The irony of this was I too had begun to weep, once again! She leaned over and grabbing onto me we pushed through the DVD. Later, I asked if she wanted to keep it and she darted me a glare as if to say, “Are you kidding me?” 

From then on, where ever our lives took us, the minute the Christmas season began, the radio played the song repeatedly. One day, Shayla called me from her cell, clearly upset. She explained that her day at the mall had been going rather fabulous, when suddenly the Christmas Shoes song had come on and now she feared scaring all the little children who had come to see Santa. Her mascara was smeared down her face from bursting into tears. She muttered how that darn song had ‘ruined’ her shopping experience! I could not hold back my giggles, knowing how deeply affected Shayla had been by the movie and soundtrack.

The year she passed, I had bought “The National Tree.” It is a movie about a glorious Sitka spruce tree that is uprooted in order to become the National treasure set upon the grounds of the White House in Washington, D.C. 

After losing her, I packed it away…still unopened into a box that read: “Store Away- Forever.” This December when embarking on the 12 days of Christmas, I soon found myself realizing that I did not have the heart to shut Christmas out of my life for good. Shayla would want none of that! I found the DVD and unwrapping it, let out a deep sigh. “Wish you were here…” I whispered to one of the many photographs that grace my home. 

I am a fan favourite of Hallmark movies and this one was a captivating tale of the bonds between a parent and a child. It focussed on the struggles, hardships and disappointments life can bring your way. Yet, it also had a message of inspiration, hope and love…all trademarks of the Hallmark franchise.  What I was most fond of was the beloved Sitka is the tree I am writing about in my own novel. 

Afterwards, I couldn’t help but be thankful for those fun, poignant and marvellous times, where Shayla and I were infused by the enthralling stories reflective of Christmas. Whatever manner the spirit of the season has been expressed, it honours the traditions we have and carry on…despite our grief. 

By T.L. Alton