Christmas morning 2018. The morning sun is streaming through my window, and I’m enjoying the solitude and silence. As I sip my morning Joe and look around the room, one obvious fact comes to mind. I am truly, deeply blessed.
I sit here pondering for a few minutes, what I so easily take for granted…roof over my head, warmth – despite the cold outside – a fridge filled with food, healthy children asleep upstairs…these are just a few examples. Glancing at photos of family and friends, I am reminded of the love that has blessed and continues to bless my life. Memories of Christmas past flood in, as I notice the photo of my brother Jimmy. This photo shows the two of us, arms linked and huge smiles on our faces. Propped right next to this photo, I realize that I have placed a round and jolly looking Santa Claus. His face reminds me of the Burl Ives snowman character on the Christmas classic, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” How fitting, since Jimmy’s favorite Christmas song was the Burl Ives’ version of “Holly Jolly Christmas.” Another Christmas favorite of Jimmy’s, was the movie “A Christmas Carol.” Though I believe he preferred the version with Alastair Sim (1951), my favorite is the musical rendition, featuring Albert Finney (1970). This is on my list of ways to savor this lazy Christmas day.
No matter how many times I have watched this movie, it still manages to tug at my heart. What is it about this movie that makes it one of my all-time favorites? I think it stems from the main theme this movie conveys…there is always a chance to start over. The culminating scene, when Scrooge realizes that he is still very-much alive and is experiencing a complete renewal of spirit, tells of the possibility that while we are still breathing and still in this body, change is always possible.
Some would view Scrooge’s new life opportunities in lieu of his financial status, stating something like: “It’s easy to start over when you have gobs and gobs of money.” I can certainly understand that view and won’t even attempt to argue it. We all know, that money is a requirement. There’s no getting around that. However, in my opinion, the most important ingredient for true and lasting change, and the impetus for Scrooge’s rebirth, is one that doesn’t require any money whatsoever. That ingredient is pure and simple and one that I believe was given to us at birth…an open heart.
In describing this ingredient – this gift we are birthed with – I used the words pure and simple. I would add to that description terms like: courageous, transformative, and healing. There’s one word I would never use to describe this gift of an open heart…easy. In my view, keeping an open heart in this life is often anything but easy. As humans, we all share the commonality of pain, loss and suffering over the course of our lives. We experience heartbreak, hard knocks and failure. Some souls experience a “lion’s share” of these challenges. For them, holding onto faith and hope – a monumental task at times – can only be done with the commitment to keeping the heart open.
Getting back to the character of Ebenezer Scrooge, we come to understand the cause of his miserable outlook on life, when we journey back to his younger years. We see that although he experienced joy and love, he endured his share of pain, separation and heartbreak. When he makes the ultimate choice to close his heart and attempts to replace love with materialism, we see the devastating repercussions experienced by him and others in his life. We see that the character of Scrooge, is held prisoner to his actions, and the only way he can break free from his shackles, is to open his heart to love once again.
The joyous scene on Christmas morning, when Scrooge realizes that he is indeed alive, is the antidote to hopelessness and despair. Scrooge is given a second chance, and he doesn’t waste a minute in starting over. We watch as his heart is burst wide-open and we laugh at his childlike enthusiasm. I absolutely love this ending! Maybe for some, it’s pure sappy. It’s probably why I love it so much.
For me, the outcome for Scrooge sheds light on what I feel is the truth…we are the makers of our own destiny. We have a choice every single day to live with our hearts wide-open and to continue to share and receive love. We also have a choice to give in to cynicism, complacency, materialism or fear. I believe that our experiences will be a direct consequence of whatever choice we make.
Are there days when I wake up feeling less than optimistic, wanting to hide under the covers and shut the world out? You better believe it. Are there days when I feel regret for past choices made, pain I may have caused another or opportunities where I closed my heart? Of course! I’m human after all. There will always be those days and those feelings that challenge us to the core. But like anything in life, we need to see the polarity to understand both sides. We can only truly experience and know what hope, love and joy is when we experience the opposite of those feelings.
In my experience, it takes conscious effort to keep myself in a state where I’m feeling healthy and balanced in mind, spirit and body. It also takes effort and practice to live with an open heart. Some days are going to be harder than others to keep this balance and to keep a positive outlook. Some days I simply won’t have the energy. That’s o.k. It’s never about perfection.
I know that if I want to create true and lasting change in my life and live with fewer regrets, then there’s no way possible for me to do that if I constrict my heart in any way. It’s a daily choice. It’s a choice to learn from the past and be hopeful for the future, while keeping my heart wide open in the present. Every day that I’m alive and breathing, I’ll be faced with a myriad of opportunities that involve choosing from the heart. As the human I am, I will falter. Hell, I’m sure I’ll screw up royally at times! When I do, I’ll think of Scrooge on Christmas morning and know that when a new day dawns, I can throw open the sash (or maybe just raise the shades 😊) and see there’s always a chance to start anew.