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A Christmas Story

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Christmas with my family is very typical. It’s mostly adults rushing to get a number things done, forgetting what the holiday is all about, and getting into insignificant disagreements along the way. Sometimes it’s more silent treatment than silent night. But its family and we do all love each other. My mother was somewhat different than the majority though. As far as I can remember, she was the only one that tried the hardest to make sure to get some Christmas cheer. She did this in anyway possible, especially with music.

In the car, it was CHFI Toronto. Why? 100% Christmas music from mid-November to Boxing Day. Yes, just as you would suspect, that means tons and tons of overplay. When she got home, it was the W Network, where all December you had “made for TV” Christmas movies playing. Both of these things were extremely important to my mother and in all honesty, I didn’t mind one bit. There is something different about the music that is played during this season for sure. You really need to let yourself listen to it. She loved all of them though, special attention given to “Feliz Navidad”, “I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas”, and “White Christmas”. She would sing the words to each of those, with a step or 2 here and there, while doing all the cleaning and cooking. If not those, we would also hear a collection of Polish Christmas Carols. For those that don’t know, the Polish people came up with a lot of different carols, many I have yet to here in another language.

Sure, my mother was stressed. There was always too much to do and she always felt things could be better. But the music really helped her stay in the moment and not let all the insanity get too far. Ultimately though, there was one song in particular that she had to pause for; “Christmas Shoes” by the group New Song.

For those who do not know, Christmas Shoes the song and movie are effectively the same thing. It’s a song about a boy in a shoe store on Christmas Eve, trying to buy his mother a pair of shoes for Christmas. The caveats? He doesn’t have enough money and his mother is sick and very likely to pass away any day now. Sang from the perspective of a bystander, the tale effectively ends with the stranger paying for the boy and letting him take the gift to his mother. Between the sad tale of a innocent child’s love even in the most dire of circumstances, and the children’s choir used for some of the vocals, this is pretty heavy stuff. I dare you to listen to this song and not feel a little tug at your heart. That’s what it was like for my mother. She loved all the emotional stuff to begin with, and she would always take time to listen to this song, tears in her eyes and all.

I believe that for her this was the essence of the season. It reflected that unconditional love and caring for our fellow man that it should be about. Her love for charity and that magical story that only happens in the movies was exactly what she got out of the song. It made her feel that story time feeling that we tended to lose during this time because of how busy we all were.

My mother’s love for this content expanded when I bought her the movie (and sequel) on DVD. The visualization of the story had the same effect as the song had. In fact, I know she loved both movies before she even watched them. It seemed to make the whole experience much more enjoyable for her. There is a lesson to be learned for all of us cynics out there. To this day I remember my mother sitting on the couch, crying, yet laughing while the ending credits rolled. That was a couple years ago.

That year would be my mother’s last Christmas. She passed away from lung cancer. This will be our second Christmas without her. A lot hasn’t changed though. We still get busy. We still fight over stupid little things. I still listen to all Christmas music radio. And I still remember my mom when “Christmas Shoes” plays.

This year, among all of the craziness, take the time to remind yourself of all the little things. Be more open to that annoying cousin that has an opinion on everything or that father in-law who hates what you did with the place. Embrace the ones you love and treasure each of the new memories you will create. Our time here is short, so it’s up to us to make as many good memories as we can.

From myself and all of us at Powder My Noise, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We are going to be taking a bit of a break over the next week, but we will be back before you know it. Be safe and God Bless.

The post A Christmas Story appeared first on Powder My Noise.


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