IT IS SIMPLE TO GET DISCOURAGED. THE TURKEY IS IN THE OVEN WHILE COVID IS AROUND EVERYBODY'S CORNER. THE LOVED ONES WHO WE HUGGED LAST YEAR MAY BE MISSING NOW. FINANCES ARE LESS OPTIMISTIC. ON SOME DAYS IT SEEMS LIKE THE WORLD AROUND US IS CHARACTERIZED BY A BOGUS SHOW OF JOY. BUT, BEFORE YOU PICK UP YOUR TOYS AND GO HOME, LET ME TELL YOU THE STORY ABOUT "SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW."
WHEN YOU DON'T SEE BLUEBIRDS FLYING AND YOU CAN'T SENSE THAT YOUR TROUBLES ARE MELTING LIKE LEMON DROPS, KNOW THAT THESE WORDS TO A REMARKABLE SONG WERE WRITTEN BY A MAN WHO WAS IN A CONCENTRATION CAMP FACING DEATH. HE WAS SUFFERING THE PAIN OF THE HOLOCAUST. THE SKIES ABOVE AUSCHWITZ WERE NOT BLUE, BUT YIP HARLBURG DARED TO BELIEVE THE "DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE." BORROW THAT STRENGTH AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN,
I KNOW. EASY FOR ME TO SAY....BUT IF YOUR NEGATIVE SELF-TALK ISN'T WORKING FOR YOU THIS SEASON, BORROW SOME LYRICS FROM YIP. FIND THAT "LAND THAT YOU HEARD OF ONCE IN A LULLABY." WHILE YOU WIPE TEARS, TELL ME WHAT IS OVER YOUR RAINBOW AND HOW YOU WILL FEEL IF YOU GRAB IT...IF YOU GET IT. REMEMBER THAT LITTLE BLUE TRAIN THAT WONDERED IF HE COULD MAKE IT OVER THE STEEP HILL. WITH SOME DOUBT, HE KEPT REPEATING, "I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN. I THINK I CAN." TRY THOSE WORDS ON FOR SIZE. YIP THOUGHT THAT "WORDS MAKE YOU THINK THOUGHTS. MUSIC MAKES YOU FEEL A FEELING BUT A SONG MAKES YOU FEEL YOUR THOUGHTS."
IF YOU NEED HELP, CALL ME. I LOOK FORWARD TO TELLING YOU, "I KNEW YOU COULD. I KNEW YOU COULD. I KNEW YOU COULD.
MERRY CHRISTMAS. HAPPY CHANUKAH. A JOYOUS KWANZAA.