Anne Fotheringham

As Dr. Seuss teaches us in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, even by taking away all the decorations, presents, ribbons and wrappings, you can’t stop Christmas from coming. The Grinch learns that “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”

For me, Christmas is about pausing to remember what the Christmas message is – peace on earth and goodwill to all.

And when I was a child, I learned that Christmas doesn’t even have to be on Dec. 25^th.

I was very ill when I was 7 and had to be rushed by ambulance to hospital for emergency surgery. I was in pain, I didn’t really know what was going on and I was delirious. I kept singing Christmas carols and talking about angels. My parents were very worried.

I spent a few weeks in hospital and by the time I was released, Christmas — the 25^th of December – had come and gone. I was sad. I had missed our traditional Christmas at home. No gathering of the family members, no family dinner and no presents. Oh well, I thought. Next year.

But when I finally did go home, I had a big surprise. I walked into the living room and saw the tree with all its decorations. There was even a present under it with my name on it.

“How?” I asked. “I missed it.”

My mother told me she and my father had decided to celebrate my homecoming by having Christmas even though it wasn’t the 25^th of December. It was their gift of love.

And that’s my message today. We can have presents decorations, etc., anytime.

But Christmas itself is a feeling; it is a message of love. It isn’t ribbons, boxes, expensive gifts, gorging on piles of food and hanging out with relatives whether you want to or not.

I am immunocompromised – I have been stuck at home since March 13. And I am not the only one. We are in the middle of an epidemic. Or more correctly a plague. The government has banned Christmas gatherings in a bid to halt the spread of COVID-19. But Christmas is not cancelled.

Christmas can’t be stopped by the ban on gatherings and the lack of gifts – even the Grinch learned that. As in the famous book, it will come just the same.

“We have the technology” – a famous quote from the Six Million Dollar Man – applies here. We are lucky enough to have the technology that allows us to connect online in various ways to speak to each other and express our love and care for each other. So let’s use it this Christmas to be with our families and friends. And if we all stay home and stay safe and the new vaccines work, then maybe, just maybe, we can all be together on December 25^th, 2021.

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