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Through the Eyes of a Child...12.4.09

Through the eyes of a child~~
I was cleaning up the classroom the other day and found a piece of paper (among other things) on the floor.  It was a sheet that the kids use as a guide for Reading Stations and, as par for the course, it had some doodling and writing on it. One of the little writings caught my eye as it was written sideways on the paper. It read, "Christmas through the eyes of a child".  It caused me to stop and think...what a wonderful time of magic and excitement for children.
I thought of my own children, Ava and Henry.  While Henry is still too young to understand Christmas he certainly feels the presence of it as it surrounds him.  Ava, on the other hand, is delighting in the wonderment of the season.  I think to myself, what an incredible thing to share with other people for the first time in their lives.
My thoughts then drifted to the past.  To a time when I was about the same age as my students.  I can recall walking through the snow on a dark and stormy night, looking up at the street lights as snow rushed past their illumination.  I quickly ducked my chin back into my jacket to keep the wind and snow from beating on my cheeks.  I trudged through the snow to buy gifts for my family with the few dollars I had.
Christmas Eve of that year I was determined to stay up to see Santa.  I camped out on the living room couch after everyone else had fallen asleep.  I waited.  I waited some more.  I began to get nervous that maybe he wouldn't come.  I fell asleep.  When I awoke, special presents were given to me with tags saying, "From Santa" on them.  I remember it as if it were yesterday.
Today, as I was walking the students up to the room in the morning, one of them said to me (regarding Santa), "If you don't believe, you don't receive."  What a profound statement from a child during a season that often allows us to forget the real reason for the celebration.
When I found that piece of paper earlier in the week and the writing on it, I thought that it was referring only to the glitter and brilliance that accompanies the season, as well as the presents and goodies--maybe it was---maybe it wasn't.  But my thoughts about the night 30+ years ago certainly revolved around these things until I had the short, magical conversation with that one child while walking to class.  The season is about belief...about hope...about love.
Now that I look back on the night I stayed up some 30+ years ago, I think more about the feeling I had.  The feeling of me wishing that something as magical as Santa would happen and I might be able to witness it...little did I know then that I really did witness something magical, despite not seeing him~~and I do so every day of the year.  
Through the eyes of a child~~believe.
Mr. C
Dec. 4, 2009

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