All I Wish for Christmas

Christmas night arrived and the group, left to their own devices since Alexa’s departure to her parents’ home, huddled together at the large glass door overlooking the back patio. There was a relatively clear view of the neighbor’s balcony from across the way. This excited everyone, as these neighbors were the only ones in view of Alexa’s apartment who had stayed for the holiday, meaning that there might be a chance to spot Santa Claus when he stopped by.

Just after midnight, Clara, one of the faceless wooden angels, called out in her soft voice as she hovered above the non-fliers, “There, I think I see him!”

Tilly still wondered how the trio could see or talk without faces, but forgot all about that as she strained to see movement in the direction the angel had pointed.

“Yeah, that’s him alright!” Jasper replied, and Tilly fluttered her own wings trying to rise higher to get a better view.

“I can’t... Oh! I think I see him!” Tilly ushered. Even if it were just a glimpse of red and a silhouette through the slightly opened curtains in the neighbor’s living room. She was beyond herself—she’d gotten to see Santa Claus.

Moments later, another ornament caught sight of Santa’s departure, and the excited anticipation that had enveloped the entire household of ornaments and decorations finally relaxed, as one-by-one they began to leave the window, dispersing to go back to whatever they’d been enjoying earlier.

Tilly, who was the last to pull herself from the view outside, turned as Balthazar approached.

“Merry Christmas, Tilly.”

With a giant smile, she gave her friend an equally giant hug, “Oh, Merry Christmas, Balthazar!” As she pulled away from his warm embrace, she frowned slightly. “I still don’t understand why Santa doesn’t come to visit us? Are we not important enough?”

“Ah, Tilly,” old Balthazar sighed. “We are all very important! You are important! But you see, while Santa Claus gets much of the glory around Christmastime, he’s only one part of the spirit. He’s just like us.”

Tilly cocked her head, thinking that surely Santa Claus would be on a whole other level than mere Christmas ornaments.

“Tilly, Santa Claus is alive in the same way that you and I are talking here and now. Without the love and joy that people bring to Christmas, he would have no reason to exist, and neither would we. He is alive with the same Christmas magic that we are. He just has a slightly different job than us.”

“What job do we have?” Tilly queried, not having thought of her existence these past several weeks as being a job.

Balthazar thought for a moment, “Santa Claus, like us, is a reminder about the gifts of the season. He reminds people to look at the gifts they receive from those around them. Gifts like kindness and blessings that others bring to their lives. But he represents this as a special symbol for all people, everywhere. Even those who do not celebrate Christmas often understand the representation of Santa Claus as the bringer of gifts. He is supposed to remind people to give themselves and have gratitude for the gifts they receive.”

Turning to the room bustling with Christmas celebration behind them, he continued, “We, on the other hand, are more individualistic reminders of the same thing. Some of us are gifts Alexa has received, and are therefore, reminders of her personal, outwardly blessings. For example, she specifically remembers her parents and her childhood when she sees all of us in the manger.”

Tilly begins to see and nods as he proceeds, “Ornaments like you, though, are things that Alexa bought for herself. You are a reminder of the gifts that people carry within themselves. When she hangs you on the tree each year, she will remember the accomplishments of her first few years away from home and the blessings she had as a young adult. You hold her memories of this part of her life. Santa Claus can’t do that for her. Do you understand?”

“A little,” Tilly answered honestly.

Balthazar smiled, “You’ll understand it better in years to come. As you watch Alexa grow with maturity and come into her own, it all will make more sense.” Tilly simply nodded, putting all her trust in her kind and wise friend.

As the night faded, everyone gathered around the tiny manger, knowing that once the sun rose, their tenure for this year would be over and their magic gone for the next several months, while they went back into storage.

“Tilly, have you presented your Christmas wish to Jesus yet?” Olivia asked, coming up from behind the little angel.

“No! I didn’t know we were supposed to.” Tilly looked worried, not wanting to mess up something important. She didn’t remember Balthazar talking about this tradition.

“Well, you don’t have to,” Olivia explained, “But some of us do. It was a tradition in me and Oliver’s household when we lived with the Smiths. It’s just a nice little something we do before the last bit of Christmas ends.

“How does it work?” Tilly prompted, very interested.

“Oh, all you do is kneel next to Jesus’ crib and softly whisper your wish for Christmas into his ear.”

“And does he grant these wishes?” Tilly asked in amazement, not thinking that the baby had any powers—beyond being brought to life with Christmas magic each year, just like the rest of them.

“No,” the elf laughed. “But it’s the power of thought. You know, of sending heartfelt wishes into the cosmos through what Jesus represents. I know Balthazar has explained the story of Jesus Christ to you, right?”

Tilly nodded, having heard the story about how Joseph and Mary came to Bethlehem thousands of years ago, and because there was no place to stay the night, ended in the manger to shelter in overnight. But Mary was ready to deliver her baby that night, and so Jesus was born in the little barn. “Yes, Jesus is a special baby and it’s his divine birth that people celebrate on Christmas. That’s why Balthazar, Melchior, and Casper keep watch over him, as well. Somehow, he’s like Santa Claus, and teaches people about love, kindness, and being good to one another.” How exactly, she was still very confused, for as far as she knew the tiny ceramic baby could communicate with people just as much as she could—not at all.

Olivia nodded at Tilly’s assessment. “It’s getting late, so I’m going to go ahead and present my wish.”

“What are you going to wish for?” Tilly asked hurriedly, hoping to get some ideas for her own wish.

“Oh, you can’t tell anyone! I know it’s superstitious, but if you tell a wish to anyone else, supposedly, it won’t come true,” Olivia smiled ruefully. “Just wish for something from your heart and you’ll do fine! Just don’t tell anybody, okay?”

“Okay,” Tilly answered, following Olivia into the manger, then hanging back until the slender elf had finished her tiny discussion with the baby who smiled and cooed up at her the entire time. Mary and Joseph knew this tradition, and stood back to give privacy to those who wanted to present wishes to their baby.

“You’re up, Til!” Olivia waved as she exited the manger to mingle with the others again.

Nervously, Tilly approached the baby who she’d gotten to hold quite often this December. He was a wonderful little boy and seemed to enjoy it most when she danced with him. For as a ballerina angel, dancing was her favorite thing to do as well.

Kneeling next to the wooden-looking ceramic crib, Tilly was still thinking about what to wish for. She smiled down at the baby, who waved his little hands in the air, then looked up at his parents who were so wrapped up into each other that they practically glowed with love.

Love, that’s what I’ll wish for. Leaning in close to the baby’s brunette curls, Tilly whispered, putting all of her energy into her wish, “Dear Baby Jesus, I wish to find love.”

Jesus giggled at the tickle of her breath on his ear, and Tilly wasn’t sure if he was even capable of understanding her wish. Regardless, she put all her faith in his abilities as the special person he was supposed to be.

After saying her farewells to all her new friends—to include the Grinch, who true to Dolly’s word, had in fact, warmed up significantly—Tilly climbed back up to her branch to await the sunrise. Silently, she repeated her Christmas wish over and over until she glimpsed that initial glow of yellow in the sky. With a smile on her rosy cheeks, the first ray of daylight cast its glow on the world and she became inanimate once again, to be stowed away for the next eleven months.