A Christmas Story and Ugly Linoleum

I bought "A Christmas Story" - the one with the little boy who wants the Red Rider BB Gun. I just watched the scene where he finally gets it. His brother is asleep on the floor with a toy zepplin.

This movie just makes me feel warm inside. I think much of the reason is because I have two brothers, and so many aspects of it speak to me. The little pajamas.. the falling asleep with the toys.. the look in those kids eyes when they finally get what they had hoped for so bad. I remember once when I was younger I got "Omega Supreme", (a giant transformer that I wanted so bad), for Christmas. I said out loud "Thank you Santa Claus, wherever you are!" lol. Aah. Kids.

I remember afterward playing on the ugly linoleum downstairs with my new toy. That linoleum was the ugliest, hardest thing in our entire house. But it was big, and long, and open. The words "comfort" and "beauty" never crossed my mind on that thing.

But that was irrelevant.

With Omega in hand, my life was for a short while that toy. I laid on my stomach on that ugly linoleum and through some magic that have since lost sight of, I WAS that transformer. I lived in his world. I smelt the smoke after fire shot out of his arms.

My point is this. On the hardest, ugliest spot in my house I was translated to a different land where it didn't matter.

It is part of the magic that is being a child.

What a wonderful magic. Christmas. Kids. Toys.

And above all Jesus.
Merry Christmas to you!
Justin.