Merry Christmas From Texas Rebroadcast
[ cold open ]
At their best, the holidays are times for family and friends and for the giving and receiving gifts. Join me this week for a brief but heartfelt Christmas greeting from Texas.
[ brief pause ]
photo: Scott Lennox
The Beautiful Question Episode #15
Original Air Date: 12/24/17
When I first presented this Christmas greeting five years ago, I offered it to listeners as a holiday surprise with no introduction. Here once again is The Night Before Santy, my original Christmas poem written and spoken with a Texas flair. I hope you enjoy it and I hope you have a wondrous Christmas and a Very Happy New Year!
[ brief pause ]
Okay, ya’ll kids come in close and I’m gonna read somethin’ to you written by my ol’ friend, CW, about somethin’ that happened to him one Christmas Eve, long time back. You ready?
‘Twas the night before Santy
‘an all through the barn,
all the horses were bedded
and the mice snuggled warm.
I had put up ol’ Rocket,
who just threw a shoe,
an’ after I brushed ‘im,
there was nuthin’ to do.
Then I heard me a jingle
an’ the loudest of thuds,
an’ in stepped a cowhand
all covered in mud.
Well, his eyes were a twinklin’
like two shiny berries,
an’ his round little cheeks
were as red as two cherries.
When he raised up his hand
an’ he called me by name,
I took a step backwards
an’ he did the same.
Well, I shook in my boots
for a terrible while,
but I settled right down
when he said with a smile,
“Whoa! Easy there, pardner!
I mean ya’ no harm.
Jus’ bringin’ some cheer
to these ranches and farms.”
Then he dumped out ‘is sack
on the old wooden floor,
an’ it looked like the stranger
had been to the store.
There were new spurs for me,
an’ for Dan there was jerky.
There were gloves, an’ new rope,
an’ a fat Christmas turkey.
There was gingham for Mama
an’ toys fer the kids.
An’ he let out a giggle
as out it all slid.
Then he tipped his 10 gallon
‘an mounted his colt,
‘an took off in a flash
like a greased lightnin’ bolt.
But he stopped at the gate
‘fore he rode out of sight,
an’ he let out a shout
in the dark Texas night.
“Y’all have you
the happiest Christmas, y’hear?
Work hard and ride easy
‘til I come back next year.”
So I just gotta say
when I think of that sight,
“Merry Christmas from Texas,
an’ to all a good night.”
Well, that’s CW’s story, an’ knowin’ him, every word of it is true. He’s just that kinda guy.
[ sleigh bells jingling ]
Listen! Ya’ll kids hear what I hear?
Ya’ll better git on to bed. It’s Christmas Eve!
[ sleigh bells trail off ]
[ narrator chuckling to himself ]
This week, as we celebrate Christmas, I have only one question.
[ brief pause ]
What will you do this year to stay heartfully present with yourself and those around you?
You and the ones you care about deserve to experience that.
As I say each week,
My Light with Your Light!
[ theme music & sign-off ]
I’m happy we can engage this way as we consider things that matter and what to do about them. If nothing else, I hope you feel inspired to look more deeply at ways of caring for yourself.
You can be further inspired by visiting my friends at Kosmos Journal. That’s K O S M O S Journal. Their mission is to inform, inspire, and engage global transformation in harmony with all life. You can easily find them online at Kosmos Journal dot O R G.
And at thebeautifulquestion.com, you can read the illustrated transcript of each podcast as you listen. We’ve also included an archive of all previous podcasts, including guided relaxation audios that can help you practice letting go on a daily basis.
If you find these podcasts useful, I encourage you to share them and tell others about them. That’s a great way of helping me get a voice of calm and collaboration and balance and encouragement out into the world.
[ brief pause ]
I’m Scott Lennox, and this has been The Beautiful Question.
[ brief pause ]
The Beautiful Question is a One Light production, written, produced, and engineered by Scott Lennox at HeartRock Studios in Fort Worth, Texas, as a way of paying forward to life, being fully present, becoming better engaged with things that truly matter in a complex world, and committing to a healthier future for all of us.