Merry Muddy Christmas From Wisconsin

It’s Christmas Day in Wisconsin. This should bring visions of snow and ice on the ground, cold temperatures of nearly 20 degrees, winds blowing through bare branches of trees, and gloomy, gray days. Well, we have the gloomy, gray day but that’s the only thing that matches the typical vision. The ground today is muddy and brown.

Instead of snow, rain is pouring down and the temperatures are running around 50 degrees. This may be close to record-warm temperatures for Wisconsin at Christmas. Instead of a sleigh, Santa probably needed a 4×4 delivery truck to deliver all of his gifts this year.

It doesn’t feel like Christmas, and I’m not the only one who has said this. The muddy roads and lack of snow and ice are only a part of it. The world seems to have lost the magic that comes with Christmas.

Seeing the stores filled with Christmas items in November doesn’t help. By the time the true Christmas season arrives, we’re already tired of red and green anything, the scent of cinnamon, and the sounds of carols and bell ringing.

The commercialism of Christmas has killed much of the joy as well. There’s a lot of pressure to exchange expensive gifts, decorate our homes and yards as garishly as possible, and have large dinners and parties. How many people find themselves going into debt for Christmas and having to spend the next six months or more paying it off?

And this year it felt like even some hearts were as muddy as our roads here in Wisconsin. Instead of choosing forgiveness or generosity, they preferred to find opportunities to create chasms and discord between people. Some made it a point to be confrontational.

It’s rather ironic considering Christmas is traditionally about the humble beginnings of a baby born in a lowly stable. The traditional story is about the kindness of the innkeeper to a tired couple about to give birth. They were grateful for the humble shelter of the stable and the warmth and protection it provided. The true spirit of Christmas is about love, generosity, and kindness.

I’ve seen both here in my little town in Wisconsin. I’ve seen the ugly and I’ve seen the wonderful. The spirit of Christmas isn’t dead, but it doesn’t seem to be as strong as it once was. We can do better next year.

Christmas doesn’t have to be one day a year or even a few weeks out of the year. Every day can be Christmas if we are willing to be that kind, generous person to those around us. Sometimes, all it costs is a smile. And if our smile can start a chain of smiles, perhaps by next Christmas we can recreate the Christmas that I remember when the love, generosity, and kindness swelled our hearts to bursting.

Merry Christmas from a very muddy Wisconsin.