Jingle

Posted on Monday, December 05, 2011

He shows up this time of year –it is like a mini Christmas morning. The girls excitedly rush to wherever we are and demand that we come see Jingle. They laugh at him, talk to him and most of all –they believe in him. They believe that he is magic. They believe that he talks to Santa. They believe that he is watching. They believe that if you touch him, he loses his power. They believe.

The girls who invented the Elf on a Shelf story are absolute entrepreneurial geniuses. Not only have they sold thousands of these unisex dolls, they have altered the behavior of parents everywhere –turning us into these crazy, elf moving weirdos who are making up all kinds of stories to our kids. “Oh, Jingle didn’t move last night because he was dizzy because he was hanging upside down yesterday.”

“Jingle forgot to take your note to Santa because his pockets are so small and he couldn’t get in touch with his cousin, Frank, who usually helps him with that sort of thing.”

Thanks Elf on the Shelf inventors, you have turned me into a big, fat liar.

You know, one of the things that I love about kids is that they will believe just about anything. Life makes us cynical. We get in these ruts and stop dreaming. I think part of what is wrong with our marriages is that we do not dream together as a couple. We just kind of sit where we are and expect things to change or get better or even stay good. I am currently reading Love and War by John and Stasi Eldredge. If you haven’t read this book, go to the bookstore or get online and buy it. I have been working my way through it pretty slowly. It is a book that you have to be in the mood to read because it serves as a wake up call.

According to Eldredge, “A good story has adventure to it: an unknown terrain explored, a wilderness survived, a mountain won, a destination reached. And the story of how it all unfolded –or unraveled –is told over and over again. Sometimes risk is involved. Sometimes danger. Often deep beauty. Adventures can be had on our own or with a group. Adventures can entail discovering a new city or acquiring a new talent. The right kind of adventures helps us to become more of who we long to be. And adventure helps to build companionship in a marriage.”

To have a good marriage, you have to be a dreamer. You have to believe in magic. You have to believe. For whatever reason, doing the tough work that is necessary to keep our families together goes on the back burner until there is a crisis, like the surfacing of an addiction or an affair. Wouldn’t it be great if we would work on our marriages before there is a major problem?

Jingle is not married. I am pretty sure he does not have the necessary “equipment.” But Jingle inspires little dreamers to well, dream. When it comes to our marriages, we must become more like our children. The alternative is just not fun.

By: Craig Robertson