"One Thing" for Wed. Nov. 13

Did you know that we are embarking on a school version of "The Polar Express"? I am going to have to break my family rule of not being allowed to sing any Christmas songs prior to the start of December in order to do this. While somewhat troubling, I think it can be done. After school today, I was playing the first of the songs our class needs to learn for the show. Then, later at the dinner table tonight, I was excited as my daughter was humming the tune to the same song as me. I asked her if she was singing that because I was. She said, "No, dad. We are doing this song for our Christmas Concert." So that's pretty neat. We can both practice at home.

I know that some schools have had issues with being able to have a "Christmas Concert" or a "Winter Concert" and that it can be tricky. I think that the spirit of things behind the story to "The Polar Express" is a good one and that it is transferrable through different religions or faiths. It's about "believing". My daughter is 8 and she still believes. I hope that goes on forever. But know that it won't. I know that my son has done a great job of not letting anything out of the bag in this department for the past 2 or 3 years and I am proud of him for doing that.

My favourite "Winter Holiday" story has always been "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". I have even read it to my class on occasion even though I have never really decorated my room with Christmas stuff. I've always thought that the Grinch sort of transcended religion/faith as well. I think it does so because of the characters involved. The Grinch is not human (and neither are the Whos) so that they can be used as an example of any person/religion out there. They could be green/brown/black. It doesn't matter. What matters is that the Grinch learns about giving. I still go over to my parents house and put on the record, read aloud by Zero Mostel and get goosebumps when the part comes with his understanding that he was unable to stop Christmas from coming.

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"

To me that's the big idea here. And at school I don't think it matters how or what exactly is celebrated as long as we are cognizant of the fact that different people celebrate in different ways and none of them are preferable to any of the others. We just need to be open to that and learn from characters like Cindy Lou Who (who was not more than two) and the Grinch.