On Christmas Eve, as I flew through the streets as an old, somewhat forlorn and withered Christmas angel, I could not escape the cheerful melodies that sounded from the decorated houses. Everyone seemed to be infused with the Christmas spirit, except me. And while I was once chosen as a Christmas angel. I looked at the glittering lights, heard the laughter of children and the warmth of families gathering, but it didn’t touch me the way it used to. Something had turned my heart to stone. Something made me want to spend my Christmas in drunken oblivion this year.
Suddenly I saw an old man walking along a deserted street with his acoustic guitar, singing Christmas carols, with a sparkling look in his eyes and a smile that could warm the deepest cold. I became curious about that man. And approached him with a compliment about his beautiful Christmas tunes. The old man introduced himself to me as Elias. He looked a bit like an old magician who seemed to completely understand the true meaning of Christmas.
“Somewhere along the way you lost the Christmas spirit as a lost Christmas angel, Irene,” Elias said. “But don’t worry, I knew I would meet you again here to help you remember.”
Elias took me on an enchanting journey through the city. We visited people who lived in simple houses, but shared their hearts with others. I saw the joy on their faces and felt the warmth of their love. Gradually something started to change in me. Call it the thawing of my unruly little heart and at the same time I felt the warmth looming in my heart again.
The old man with his acoustic guitar even took me to a tiny house where a lonely old woman lived. She was alone at Christmas, yet she sat in her armchair with a smile on her face, surrounded by old photos and memories. Elias pointed to the woman and said, “Look, it’s not about the beautiful gifts or lavish parties. It’s about love, memories and sharing joy, even when you’re alone.”
Slowly the Christmas spirit began to thaw my heart. I was suddenly able to appreciate the simple beauty of the season again and feel the meaning of connection and compassion. At the end of the night, Elias returned to where he came from, looking for the next victim with long-lost Christmas thoughts, knowing that he had reignited the Christmas spirit deep within me.
The next morning I woke up with a new sense of joy and wonder. I decided to follow my heart and started celebrating Christmas in a way that was truly meaningful. And shared my time and love with others, just as Elias had intended.
And so, in that small town covered in rain, wind and sleet, as a newly transformed Christmas angel, I once again became that source of Christmas spirit for everyone around me. The story of my transformation spread through the city, and all I had to do was snap my magical fingers at all those lonely and lost souls and touch all those people in their hearts. Everyone soon began to understand that the true meaning of Christmas is not in gifts, but in love, sharing and the joy of being together.
The spirit of Christmas had found its way back, not only into my heart, but into the hearts of the entire community.
