A Mouse’s Christmas Wisdom

 As published in The Richmond News, December 4^th 2009

My friends are always surprised to hear one of my favourite holiday traditions involves a mouse. It all started many years ago when my mother was walking the dog on Christmas Eve. She was on a forest trail in the local park when she saw a little brown mouse scurrying into the brambles.  “What a sweet little mouse,” she thought to herself. That afternoon, with a few scraps of felt and a little imagination, my mother stitched up a new family tradition. From that year forward, a little grey “Christmas Mouse” would appear under the tree every Christmas Eve. She would have a note in her paws, and it always began:

            Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house...

            Not a creature was stirring, except for the mouse…

These rhyming notes would give clues to where the Christmas Mouse present was hidden.  My brother and I would bound off to find the gift, which was always a box of Purdy’s chocolates and a board game. We would then sit down as a family to eat the chocolates and play the game, taking our minds off Santa’s upcoming visit and all those other presents under the tree.

This year, as I think about the important parts of Christmas I want to recreate for my young sons, the mouse comes to mind. Certainly, there were memorable presents I received. There are a few much longed for items that stand out in my mind and getting a coveted toy did leave me feeling special and loved. But most of the presents I unwrapped with such joy are long forgotten. Traditions like the mouse, on the other hand, still stand out as a special part of the holidays.

I have asked many other friends about their favourite holiday memories, and despite different faiths and different cultures, gift getting is rarely at the top of the list. Time and time again, the same common elements emerge to create holiday magic.

Sameness – “Every year we’d make the trek to Granddad’s house…” a friend’s story might begin. 

Surprise – It is important to have repetition, but a little surprise helps keep the tradition fresh. We knew the Christmas mouse was coming but where were the chocolates going to be hidden this year?

Sensory richness – A friend’s eyes would light up and he would start to drool as he remembered, “Oh how the house would smell so good! And the way the candles looked…”

And the element of Story – Favourite memories always involve actions and events framed by the stories told year after year. Stories are what turn it from just a cookie, and candle or a car trip into holiday magic.

So what ever you are going to be celebrating this dark, wet winter, take the time to dig out those old ornaments, bake that special recipe and tell those stories! Start a new tradition in your family. Holiday magic doesn’t have to come with a big price tag. It can be as simple as a little stuffed grey mouse and a box of chocolates.