Christmas Came Early

by Malcolm Dykes

As I drove up to our mailbox yesterday to retrieve the daily mail, I opened it to see this large envelope stuffed up inside.

It is an appeal for funds for a children's home up in Nebraska, Boys Town.

Like all the rest of you I get a steady dose of hands held out either by phone or by mail and even here online asking for money like the USO, Wounded Warriors and so many more.

And, if possible, I try to respond to those I feel are legit.

I never heard of this Boys Town but here I get a Christmas gift come early from them.

It has a set of pens, a C D of traditional instrumental Carols, several Christmas cards to send out to friends and family and a day planner and calendar for 2023.

And of course. a addressed return envelope asking for a donation so girls and boys at their refuge can have a Merry Christmas.

So, as I pull up in the long line to pick my 2nd grader from school, I have Oh Come All Ye Faithful playing and when the teacher who opens the door for my child to jump in I turn it up loud and clear on the first day of Fall!

She breaks into a large smile with a surprised look, and I holler out over the orchestra's strains, "Christmas came early!"

So, I suppose I am the first to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year this morning!!

Look, it's not so strange to start singing Jingle Bells here on the first day of Fall, not for the folks in the Philippines at least.

They start celebrating Christmas early too and for the better part of 3 months it's Ho Ho Ho!!

In fact, we should celebrate Christmas 365 days of the year.

Maybe not with tinsel and green Christmas trees, but with the true meaning and spirit of Christmas.

Emanuel, 'God with us' is the true spirit of Christmas.

Bringing hope and spreading cheer is the real spirit of Christmas.

I accidently walked up into a household yesterday and caused a ruckus I won't go into.

I walked into a trap so to speak that left a couple quarreling and as soon as I found out about it, I immediately bowed out of my part saying in a text, "I am a cheer giver not a fear giver.

And I am.

I am a cheer giver not a promoter of fear.

Peace on earth and good will toward men should be our daily agenda.

As I examined this Boys Ranch contents, they had a personal letter from one of their teen-age boys who told how he came to Boys Town.

His biological father beat up his mother when he was a lad when he found out she was pregnant from another man slashing her throat before leaving thinking she was dead.

She survived and he had to become the man of the house not allowed to grow on up as a child.

There was a school right behind the projects they lived in so he did by breaking into the cafeteria and stealing frozen pizzas to feed his family.

He then turned to gangs because they became like family to him and he was headed in the wrong direction.

He is accrediting Boys Town for salvaging his life and going on to be a productive member of society.

You ask, "Bro. Mike, are you going to send them a love offering like you do the USO and Wounded Warriors?"

Of course, I am because Christmas came early!

God bless you and God bless America.