Hello all.  It’s a beautiful day here at Lullaby Lu, the sun is shining and it is rather warm, so the UGG boots have come off for one more day and the toe-less shoes are back on.  It is lovely to have one last reminisce with the summer weather, but with a few past days of chills and rain I was starting to feel the seasonal festive vibes…!  There are already Christmas goodies in almost every shop creeping onto the shelves, and Christmas lunch and dinner menus are being advertised everywhere!  So, it was with much glee that I revisited Christmas at Lullaby Lu and fondly blew the dust off of our beautiful Christmas Wish package…

A Christmas Lullaby

Here followeth your first introduction to our Christmas Wish, the special Christmas lullaby that we have designed to fit perfectly into any family Christmas tradition.  Every child needs a lullaby, but every child should have a lullaby that is just that little extra special at Christmas!!  So sit back, grab a cup of something hot and delicious, and for today we will tell you the story behind our Christmas Lullaby…

The Christmas Wish

The clock strikes and chimes on the hour in an otherwise restful and silent house.  The air is still, but somehow charged with intrigue and a familiar, simmering anticipation.  The fireplace is glowing with scattered embers that are slowly consuming the last coals of the previous evening’s hearty blaze, and through the velvety darkness of a winter’s morning, the outline of a tall, majestic Christmas tree can be discerned by the fireside.  The lower branches, as if dipped into molten metal, reflect the dim, warm red and orange light of the embers.  Every now and then, as a glittering bauble or Christmas angel on the tree turns in the soft, rising heat from the hearth the darkness is disturbed by a brief but dazzling sparkle.

As the scene lies still in the darkness, another glow seems to appear on the tree, but not near the fireplace, not near the glowing embers.  The tree lights are not switched on, the candles on the mantel are not alight – there can be no reflection of the moon on a tree ornament as the Christmas tree stands nowhere near a window.  But it glimmers a warm, white glimmering light, that seems already to have grown in brightness.  It stays, flickering and alluring within the branches of the Christmas tree, mysterious and unmoving, quiet….peaceful….still…..

But suddenly the charge in the air begins to strengthen, and the hanging anticipation seems to become a murmuring – a mumbling – until, like a flame to a fuse the house explodes with the wonderful sound of excitement; children’s shrieks and laughs, the sporadic drum-drumming of footsteps on the floor above as rooms are invaded and awoken with shouts of ‘It’s Christmas!!’.  The gradual turning on of lamps and the lighting of candles brings the house to life and highlights every detail of the Christmas tree and the living room in all their festive splendour.

As a shy child would hide behind its mother, so the new brightness of the house sees the glowing light within the tree dim ever so slightly and hide behind the now twinkling fairy lights and shimmering tinsel.

Before long, adults and children alike are gathered downstairs donning dressing gowns and slippers, their faces smiling, and head eagerly to the tree.  Under it’s decorated boughs lies the apparent cause of all the glee and fervor – a vast collection of Christmas gifts all wrapped and tied to perfection.  Without hesitation children delve their hands into the pile of presents, rustling and shuffling amongst richly coloured boxes, frantically moving glittering ribbons and bows aside to read labels and cards to find their first, long-awaited present to be opened.  Adults waste no time either, and join the hunt with frantic laughs and giggles.  The excitement reaches fever pitch, everyone is poised to begin the joyful unveiling of their offerings, until a loud, deep and masterful voice bellows ‘ladies and gents – WAIT!’

Within an instant the noise diminishes, the ticking of the clock the only sound to penetrate the sudden silence, and all heads turn to see the head of the family, his arms raised and palms out-turned, signifying that all activity should instantly cease.  His face is kind but serious, and slowly presents are placed back down under the tree and glances are thrown from one to another within the group, acknowledging their mistake.  After a brief moment, he speaks;

‘My dear family, my dearest friends – have we forgotten ourselves?  Before we focus on presents, and what we are gaining in toys and clothes and trinkets – is there not something else that we should be searching for?  Something that is infinitely more important?’

His gaze drops to the youngest little girl sat with her legs pulled up in front of her, and a shiny red box placed sheepishly by her feet.  From under long lashes her eyes meet his, and he nods at her to answer.

‘Our wish father.  The Christmas wish.’

He nods and smiles to acknowledge her response, then offers his hand out to her and pulls her to her feet.  With no further words exchanged, each member of the group begins to stand and takes two or three steps back from the tree.  With unspoken direction each adult and child hold their arms out to the side to grasp the hands of the people beside them, readjusting their positions slightly to form a half-circle around the Christmas tree.

Then, with presents momentarily forgotten, each person starts to look at the tree, their eyes scanning top to bottom, left to right, searching for something.  Brows furrow and heads move from side to side as every inch of the tree is searched and scrutinised.  Still, the room is silent, the energy of the quiet atmosphere now calm but harbouring an intense sense of purpose.  The tree stands proudly in its spotlight position, knowing that discovery of its secret is close, very close…until…

‘THERE!’ – the same little girl who spoke before throws her arm out in front of her and points into the tree, taking one swift step forward and widening her eyes in her moment of triumph.  Not a second is spared before the rest of the group drop hands, gather behind her and follow her gaze to the soft, flickering light that is there for all to behold.  All the adults drop to one knee for the best vantage point, some leaning on the shoulders of the children in front, as the light glows softly within the lower branches.

For a moment or two everyone simply stares, drinking in the light and the importance of what they have found.  Now noticed and the centre of the room’s attention the light begins to brighten, shining its welcome and communicating its readiness.  Every face surrounding the tree shines as brightly as the magical light they are watching, and eyes sparkle and glisten with appreciation and wonder.  From the heart of the quiet thoughtfulness, the head of the family gazes at the friends and family members around him, before placing a hand on the little girls’ shoulder and says,

‘Go ahead, it’s time.  You all know what to do.’

Instantly each person closes their eyes and bows their head, as if ready to pray.  Not one person peeps or moves, but stays firmly and resolutely still in their pose.  Even the children whom only moments ago were bubbling over with excitement find no challenge in remaining calm and focused on this new employment.  Again, the clock marks every second through the determined hush, and after a short while, once everyone has had time, the little girl says slowly,

‘This Christmas morn my wish I find, to bring what matters back to mind, with love I send with all my might, my Christmas wish on its Christmas flight’.

At the moment the girl’s last word leaves her lips, the light within the tree grows quickly to a new, radiant brilliance before immediately diminishing at great speed until every trace of the light is gone.  The room is once again still, peaceful, silent.

One by one each person opens their eyes and looks into the tree to the spot that had previously held them so fascinated, and show no signs of surprise at the light now having disappeared entirely.  In fact children and adults alike begin to reach out to the person next to them and offer kisses and a warm embrace, with still, no spoken words.  It is only when the head of the family stands to his feet and once again captures the attention of the room with raised hands that the silence is finally broken.  With a knowing smile, and eyes warm with contentment, he says,

‘Merry Christmas everyone!’

And with no delay, his answer comes back to him with all voices joining in unison,

‘Merry Christmas!’

And at that moment, as if time itself had been standing still, the room returns to the scene of laughter and giggling, joy and merriment that it had once been.  Gifts are revisited, the ripping of paper begins to punctuate the din and shrieks of happiness and euphoria rise into the air.  As the little girl picks up the shimmering red box that had previously been lying beside her, she glances ever so briefly towards the large bay window at the opposite side of the room, only to catch sight of a warm, white light flying magically across the sky.