SUBLIME SEASON OF JINGLE BELLS

This is the sublime season of jingle bells. Bonhomie, love, and generosity rule the roost.
In the early 1950s a thoroughly traumatized child of 10 was taken to St Paul's Mission School in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, for admission. He had to stay in the hostel. At first it appeared to him as another trauma, as he had never left the benign shadow of his mother all through his brief life. The past trauma was mitigated because she protected him with her love. Who will take care of him here among the strangers ? He took refuge in the childhood weapon : he started crying.
The hostel superintendent, the teacher in charge of the hostel and other children surrounded him in sympathy and tried to console him. But he kept crying. Then the superintendent, himself a senior student, had an idea. He brought out the harmonium from the hostel chapel and started singing "Jingle Bells". Other students joined the chorus with gusto and the child stopped crying.
Then one day in the Bible class of the school they were taught the virtues of forgiving. Some days earlier, he had had a childish tiff with his classmate, who was senior to him in the school. Hence more familiar with Bible lessons. The latter took the first opportunity to apologize, saying he begged forgiveness.
The school arranged festivities and biblical dramas and pageants near about Xmas season, especially for hostel inmates, as they would go home during holidays. It was fun all through.

o0o .