The Daily Alaska empire Newspaper, December 24, 1943, Page 12

PAGE SIX Although this will be our third wartime Christmas—it +‘may be—it can be—the finest Christmas we ever knew. For it can re-reveal the true Christmas to our hearts. Christmas.which has nothing to do with expensive gifts, or extravagant dinners, or rounds of entertaining. . It can reveal the old meaning of the word, “holiday.” Holy Day. What is the real Christmas we can celebrate this year? Remember Christmas days long past and treasured in your heart and you will know. Was it the long cold walk to church through the Christ- mas dark, the sudden welcome warmth and the candle-lit dimness of the church, the window angels tipped with light as morning came while you sang the old happy words, “Joy to the world” . . . and “H the Herald Angels Sing?” Was it the Christmas mornings you all waited breathless for Mother to open the door and reveal the lighted tree, while you danced around it singing carol Was it the sound of old country sleigh bells, brought to he new home, to jingle in your hand or on an.old Dobbin’s :Pack ‘as you went carol-singing from friend's house to iriend’s house with your home-made remembrances of candy, cookies, fruit cake, spicy preserves, mittens and mufflers? Was it Christmas Eve before the fire, while mother lu.ul “the old, old story you trimmed the tree—you children and Dad? And afterward, hot chocolate and doughnuts made fresh that day by '\1other s busy hands. Content, warmth, security—while you listened to Dad reading the “Christmas Carol,” and your favorite, “Mr. Kris Kringle.” And then to bed, sure that all there was of love and joy was yours, were in your house. THE DAILY ALASKA EMPIRE—JUNEAU, ALASKA PRI Was it a Christmas not so long ago, when you sat, all of you, around the lighted Christmas tree, rejoicing in your togetherness, remembering other Christmases, thinking of other folk A Christmas when you suddenly said, “This is the best Christmas we ever had!” because somehow you felt you had touched the heart of it. Was it the Christmas you lon[ied for a Flexible Flyer that Dad couldn’t afford? «Yet you saw him hurrying home with it through the dusk on Christmas Eve—and he wore his thin shabby overcoat all winter without a murmur. Only you know what Christmas means to you. And per- haps only a wartime Christmas could reveal how important is the real Christmas. Memories that can never be taken from you. Expectations of Christmases to come, based on the hope that Christmas itself gives so richly. Yes! Christmas is a celebration of the heart! A time for remembering and treasuring the love and tenderness that Christmas has always meant, since an all-loving Father gave the world His Son. That is why, wherever we are, wherever our dear ones are—in our hearts we are always together at Christmas. War cannot take it from us. Time cannot take it from us. Sep- aration cannot take it. from us.. Even death cannot take it from us. That was the promise that the Gift of the Babe in a manger two thousand years ago made sure for us. So this is Christmas, we can celebrate, we will celebrate,; the true meaning of the day. No matter that our sons, huv- bands, fathers, sweethearts, friends—yes, even our daughters —are celcbmtmg it under strange and warlike skies, half a world or more away. : gpegwgrrelreegregueseeeee Let us look well into our hearts. Today’s band of warriors are our sons, ddughtem, futher*, mothers, wives and sweethearts, yours and ‘mine.. Are we -~ doing everything we can to give them the help and support to which they are entitled? Nay, more than that, the help they have every right to demand of us. Are we makmg everyn possible sacrifice in our efforts to support them, by, the pur- chase of bonds, which- in turn enables our gwernment _tn purchase the things that are necessary for ‘them to have %o- successfully cdarry on their crusade, or are we just goi'nx along continuing to live in our accu&tumed luxury “crmtent o let George do it”? If Peace on Earth-and Good Will towards men is to ébme . again, we on the home front must be as untiring'in our;sac-, rifices as those on the battle front. If we would feel the arms of our loved ones around"f! soon again, it is up to us to provide the’ srms to bring that reunion about. There never was a time in the hlstorv of the world flmt the'slogan, “DO IT NOW" meant so much. WE CAN DO MORE. = As Alaskans, we ‘can qhnre oyr Christmas with the boys who guard our seas and shores, can let them partake of our family custems., Who knows—we may be able to give them a xecunty, warmth, a Chrlstmas so surrounded-with the true meaning of the word that in ye IS to come they may look back and say, “Why. do-you know best Christmas I ever had was:the Christmas- 1-spent Wit] the Army in Alaska.” Who knows—perhaps by giving fl\eni a happy Christmas—we may touch the heart of Chrans. ourselves . . . .