On the seventeenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me – Christmas Magic

There is something in the air at Christmas. When the snow is lightly falling and the tinsel on the tree is sparkling from the multicoloured lights, there’s a warmth (at least for me) that spreads through me making my heart smile. Some call it the Spirit of Christmas, while others call it the magic of the season. But whatever it is called, it makes this holiday special.

Candy Canes & Coffee Beans has two themes. I tried to think which would come first when I was writing this, but realized that they are equally important – Love and the magic of Christmas. For without the magic, there would not have been love in this story.

When I was younger, I noticed that beginning in November – as in Canada it’s a straight shot from Halloween to Christmas – there was something in the air. People seemed to smile a bit more. Doors were held open more frequently. Hello’s were exchanged as people went from store to store looking for the perfect gift for loved ones. It was a feeling that made my heart glow. And I basked in it until the cold chill of January froze out the cheer.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m older, or it’s the times in which we live, but that something I used to sense this time of year is slowly fading away. Smiles have changed to furrowed brows when people become annoyed at having to wait in line too long . Doors are no longer held as often as people rush to get to the next store on their list. And hello’s are forgotten for texts on their phones. We live in a world of stress and it’s slowly sucking the joy and magic out of what should be a time of love and peace.

I’ve mentioned before that my mother taught me the value of a smile. It’s worth more than any currency on this planet. Last year I had two instances where a single smile, weighted with the holiday magic I so very much love, made two people who were on the verge of tears, return my smile tenfold.

The magic of the season is not just about getting the next greatest thing under the tree, or eating your weight in Christmas dinner. It’s about looking beyond yourself, and knowing that a simple act will grow in its importance when touched by that magic. Tears turn to smiles. I can’t change the world. But I have to power to use a little magic to change someone’s day. And there isn’t anything more magical than that.

Until tomorrow all!

Saxon