The World That He Sees

The other day I was in Kmart doing some errands and some late season shopping. It is a little challenging finding things my family needs. We want for nothing. We certainly aren’t rich by some American standards. I am a public school teacher and Heidi is a university professor, but we have a beautiful home in the woods. Our cars are 7 and 11 years old, but they still run well.

I have been to Rwanda in central Africa. By the standards there and in many places in the world I am a very rich man. I know it. I appreciate it. We are so blessed.

A small town Kmart is an interesting place. Everyone in Lexington goes there from time to time. If you stayed there long enough you’d probably see just about every citizen of our fair town. It was pretty busy on Friday. There were lots of people doing last minute Christmas shopping. Most folks were good-natured and there were plenty of people working, so there were no long lines. When I was near the music area looking through some CDs I saw this little encounter. There was a tall, very blond, 40ish woman in expensive clothes (certainly not purchased in Kmart) and another woman of about the same age with a little girl in tow. The mom was Hispanic and she and her little one were wearing very modest clothes. The tall blond woman had on heels, lots of make up and had a huge diamond wedding ring that must have cost thousands of dollars. Tens of thousands?

“Maria! So good to see you!” she gushed. “This must be your daughter. Oh, she is SO cute!” She reached out to touch the little one’s face. To pinch her cheek? The little girl sought refuge behind her mama’s leg.

“It’s nice to see you too. Yes, this is my little Anna.”

“And how old are you, Anna?” Anna hid her face behind her mom’s leg.

“She is three, almost four,” said Maria.

"Well, she’s a doll! I can’t believe it! She’s just as cute as she can be.” I couldn’t figure out what was unbelievable. “She could be a child model,” the tall, blond woman went on.

“Thank you,” said Maria shyly.

“Have you been a good little girl this year Anna?” She knelt down to look Anna in the eye. “Is Santa going to bring you lots and lots of nice toys?” The little one peeked around her mama’s leg and nodded. Maria gripped the handle of her shopping cart a little harder. She was obviously not a woman of great means. Her clothes were plane, her black tennis shoes were worn and her wedding ring was a plain band. No diamond.

“Anna has been very good. And Santa will probably bring her some new clothes. Santa knows how fast she is outgrowing her old ones.”

“Oh, I think Santa will have some nice toys for such a pretty little girl.” Maria seemed uncomfortable. The tall blond woman was oblivious.

“Yes, Santa will probably bring a toy as well.”

“Well, it was so nice to visit with you, Maria. I’ll see you next week. Wednesday, right? We’re having a big Christmas Eve party for Roger’s work people.”

“Yes, maam. I will see you Wednesday.”

“Fine.” Then she looked down at Anna who was reappearing from behind her mama. “And you! You are just too cute. You could be a model,” she repeated. She walked away pushing a cart of electronic equipment. Maria watched her walk away. I couldn’t read her expression.

“Mama, who was that?”

“She is someone I work for,” Maria said.

“Mama?”

“Yes?”

“Hold me?” Anna raised her arms. Maria picked up her little daughter and Anna wrapped her small arms and legs around her mother in a tight loving embrace. Anna pulled away and kissed her mama’s cheek.

I don’t know what Anna is getting for Christmas. Something modest. But she is one lucky little girl. The love that passed between those two in that moment, in that hug was priceless.

I was fortunate to have been there for that little time. It made me think about what’s really important. You certainly can’t measure happiness by your clothes, your jewelry or your toys. Quite simply, it comes down to love. Love.

Christmas isn’t about getting stuff. To me it isn’t even about the giving. I do think it is about sharing time and fellowship and imagining a better world and then trying to live into that world. Heidi gave me a CD as an early Christmas present. It is called The Christmas Attic by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. There is this beautiful song, “The World That He Sees”, that spoke to me. I hope it does to you. Merry Christmas!

Music & Lyrics: Paul O'Neill, Jon Oliva

There was a cold winter night

Where the dark went on forever

And the world seemed like a

Dream gone astray

And somehow there on this night

As the world huddled together

There a child slept at the end of

The day

And he dreamed of another world

In another time

And another place

Where no man

Has to wear a sign

Saying where he's from

Saying what's his race

And he wants us to believe

This world that he sees

What is the dream of this night

Why does it echo forever

Here in the cold at the end of

This year

And with all our different lives

Why do we dream it together

When at the first sign of snow it

Appears

When he dreamed of another world

In another time

And another place

Where no man

Has to wear a sign

Saying where he's from

Saying what's his race

And he wants us to believe

This world that he sees

When he dreamed of another world

In another time

And another place

Where no man

Has to wear a sign

Saying where he's from

Saying what's his race

And he wants us to believe

This world that he sees

THEN THE CHILD HEARD A CLOCK TOLLING

FROM A DISTANT CITY TOWER

AND SHE GAZED UP AT THE STARLIGHT

ON THIS CHRISTMAS MIDNIGHT HOUR

AND SHE WONDERED IF THESE STARS

WERE ALL BUT BITS OF DREAMS

FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE DISTANT PAST

THAT SOMEHOW, COULD STILL BE SEEN

AND SHE WONDERED IF HER CANDLE

UPON THIS MAGIC NIGHT

COULD BE SEEN BY SOMEONE FARAWAY

AS THEIR OWN STARLIGHT