Rory Fitzgerald
Christmas looms large in children’s minds. It is for them a time when the mundane is transformed into the glittering and magical. The Christmas lights strewn across the land are a collective rebellion against the darkness in these, the very darkest days of the year.
Since the end of November, during every night-time car journey, the kids have been playing a game of counting the Christmas lights. They even have a system, where they are divided into teams one responsible for each side of the road. The results are added up and announced in triumphant terms at journey’s end. “Dad, there were 274 sets of Christmas lights!” Statistical change is observed on repeat journeys, as Christmas approaches and the lights multiply, “Dad, dad there were only 274 last week, now there’s 396!”
I can remember my heart lifting as a child, as I gazed in awe at the Christmas lights, which has transformed the normally grey and dreary streets of 1980s Cork into places of utter enchantment.
The other great brightening that happens at Christmas is in people’s moods. Infectious Christmas cheer can be found in the shops and in the schoolyard. Children are pleased to find their parents unusually prone to saying “yes” to their requests for things such as “just one more Quality Street”. The normal strictures around treats and toys dissolve before the dictum, “Well, I suppose it is Christmas, after all”.
Christmas has become overwhelmingly centred on children, and it’s all the better for it. For it is only through their eyes that we can experience again the magic which our adult hearts yearn to recall from Christmases past. Only their innocence and enthusiasm can keep the spark of Christmas spirit alive.
Yet the glitz and presents can amount to an empty show, descending into materialism and wanton consumption, unless we take the time amid the rush to remember, in our own way, the coming of light into the world which Christmas truly represents. All the lights, the decorations and the open-hearted giving can serve as reminders of the deeper meaning of Christmas, if we let them.
Amid the festive fun, there is sadness at Christmas too. At Christmas, we think of loved ones long gone. As children, we used to visit my grandparent’s graves each Christmas Eve. The absence of those we loved evokes greater pain at Christmas time. Those who are short of money, or who live in poverty, are put under greater strain by the demands Christmas brings. To remind the kids of this, I’ve always encouraged the children do some giving at Christmas, even if it’s just something small.
There is time for reflection at Christmas. Amid the bustle of the Christmas shopping, I always bring the kids into a church for a moment of calm, to light a candle, and to give thanks. For we have much to be thankful for. While there is much talk about giving at Christmas, there is less about receiving – which is a skill in itself.
We all take too much for granted. We can remedy this by taking time to be deeply grateful for each person in our lives li, and each aspect of our lives that brings us joy. By carefully counting such things with gratitude, we can remind ourselves of the real riches we possess. This Christmas, I’m going to try to count such blessings – with the methodical joy with which the kids count the Christmas lights as we drive along.