There was an icy glaze on the pavement so I am sidelined again. No bother, as I am still trying to finish up this project so my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are unscathed by work. But to put things in perspective, traipsing around in the Wintry weather to reach my goal seems so inconsequential after hearing this heart-warming tale over the weekend. It is the story of a little girl, Laney Brown, who lives in West Reading, Pennsylvania, and she is in the last stages of a rare form of leukemia and not expected to live to see Christmas 2013. All she wanted was to hear Christmas carols and so the townspeople and others (10,000 strong) gathered around her house for a gigantic sing-song so little Laney could be granted her wish. (http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/22/us/dying-girl-christmas-carol-wish/) Call me sentimental or sappy … I don’t care … this story brought tears to my eyes. I would have joined that crowd in their well wishes in a heartbeat. Christmas music lifts the heart and stirs the soul. When I was in Brownies and Girl Guides back in Canada, one of our annual troop events was to visit various nursing homes around the Oakville area and sing holiday songs. We’d pin sparkly Christmas corsages onto our official uniforms and sometimes add a whimsical pair of elf ears or headbands with reindeer antlers as well to cheer the nursing home residents where we visited. We were greeted with cheers, often accompanied by tears. It was fun and gave the residents a touch of holiday spirit. If only we could capture this good will toward all men and bottle it to be sprinkled throughout the year, instead of just at the holiday season.