Last Friday evening we took a trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express. In case neither one of the faithful readers know the story, one Christmas Eve many years ago, a boy went to bed after being told by a friend that Santa didn’t exist. He listened for the bells of Santa’s sleigh, but he heard something different, looked out the window and saw a steam engine parked on the lawn. The conductor invited him to board the Polar Express — a train filled with children on their way to the North Pole. The train took the children to the center of the city where Santa and the elves had gathered for the giving of the first gift of Christmas. The boy was chosen to receive this first gift. Even though he could choose anything in the world, he decided on a simple gift — one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. Santa cut a bell from a reindeer’s harness and the boy slipped it into his bathrobe pocket just as the clock struck midnight and the reindeer pulled Santa and his sleigh into the sky. When all the children got back on the train, the boy realized the bell had fallen through a hole in his pocket. On Christmas morning, his little sister found a small box with the boy’s name on it among the presents. Inside was the silver bell. The boy and his sister were enchanted by the bell’s beautiful sound, but their parents couldn’t hear it. The boy continued to believe in the spirit of Christmas and was able to hear the ringing of the bell even as an adult.
The book was read during the train trip and when we got to the North pole, Santa boarded the train and talked with everyone — and those that believed, got a silver bell!! Emily seemed to have had a great time, as did all of us.
The story conveys a great message about believing. A friend of ours has a sign that reads, “Everyone should believe in something; I believe I’ll have another beer.”
But whether we realize it or not, we all believe…. I got a silver bell, and I can hear it ring. Before Santa gave it to me, he asked, “Do you believe?” He didn’t ask if I believed in Santa — just, “do you believe?” I answered truthfully — I do believe
… in true love
… that people are in our lives for a reason
… you shouldn’t judge people by their appearance
… that one should never say never
… that life is about choices
… the world is a beautiful place
We all have a list of what we believe in — the list changes over time, but some things on it don’t.
I guess we all need a ride on the Polar Express from time to time to remind us how important it is to believe.
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