The Christmas Spirit

The Christmas Spirit

By Mark Leitheiser

The late great American poet, Robert Frost, once wrote, “Good fences make good neighbors.” That may have been true in Frost’s world but here, in rural Minnesota, we take a different view of our neighbors. Our fences disappear with the great sweep of combines in late autumn and as the Christmas season approaches, we are reminded that good neighbors are far better than good fences. 

The Christmas spirit came early this year. It arrived in the blazing heat of late August when I heard the first strains of Christmas music while watching a young man trim his festive tree. I’ve been bombarded with Christmas spirit commercials ever since.

The Christmas spirit takes many forms of course. Today, we received a beautiful Christmas card with a picture of a young family wishing us a joyful Christmas. That was nice. Many service clubs collect coats, mittens and toys for needy children. That’s nice too.

Movies and television specials have long played an important role in our holiday celebrations of the Christmas spirit. The Little Drummer Boy and A Charlie Brown Christmas top my list of Christmas specials that still move me, decades after their debut on television. Granted, there were only a few programs to choose from back in the day. Today, the list of Christmas specials found in movies and on TV is as endless as the Christmas dreams of children.

Of course, nothing is as timeless as music when it comes to keeping the Christmas spirit. No other event comes close to the passion and sheer number of beautiful songs of the Christmas season. And yet . . .

Despite the cookies, decorations, presents, greetings, songs and cards, psychologists tell us millions of people feel lonely and depressed during the Christmas season. How can this be?

Perhaps cookies, decorations, presents, greetings, songs, and cards aren’t the answer. Perhaps we’re missing more important things in celebrating the true Christmas spirit: family, friends and good neighbors.

The importance of family and friends seems obvious, especially during the Christmas season, but recently, Sweetums and I were reminded of the importance of good neighbors. Last week, a winter storm brought us rain and sleet which left us with treacherous ice-covered roads - especially the gravel roads outside of town.

The morning after the storm, one of our vehicles woke up buried in a snow-filled ditch. Never mind how it got there. That’s for another article which will never be written. The point is, we were in a bad spot. Of course, a ground blizzard had swept in to kick us while we were down.

Given the snow, ice, wind and cold, we weren’t going anywhere. It was the kind of mess you drive by from time to time and thank God it isn’t you. Leaving the vehicle there until summer didn’t seem like a great idea but our options were few and far between. Finally, mired in desperation, I decided to call our neighbor, who had a big, strong John Deere tractor.

This was a call no neighbor wants to get, especially with a ground blizzard whistling outside. Yet our neighbor got it and his response showed more Christmas spirit than a bucket full of cookies, presents and decorations. He could have said, “Sorry, wrong number,” and hung up. He could have said, “Sorry, I’m busy and cannot be bothered today. Don’t call back.” He could have said a lot of things but what he said was, “Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

It took a little while to get things ready and drive the mile down the road to where our vehicle waited patiently in the ditch. I passed the time slinging snow out from under the front tires only to have the whipping wind sling it back in my face. It was a fool’s effort but real men know they can solve anything with a snow shovel.

In due time, a hulking green form began to take shape from the north. It was our neighbor and his big, strong John Deere. I eagerly climbed from the ditch hoping for some encouraging news. I didn’t get it.

After a quick survey, our neighbor told me he didn’t think he could pull us out; there was simply too much ice for the traction needed to yank our snow-crusted whale from the depths of the ditch. I tried not to cry. Instead, I suggested we at least try, given that he was already there.

Thankfully, he agreed. After removing enough snow to find the rear bumper, I climbed down and hooked the rope to the receiver hitch and recited the Prayer of the Truly Desperate. With that, the John Deere gave a short snort and tightened the rope . . . and the vehicle moved, a fraction of an inch.

Delighted and eager to do my part, I jumped in, slammed the transmission into reverse and floored it, spraying snow, grass and gravel out into the ditch while the big, strong John Deere patiently pulled me from an icy tomb.

“You must have been praying.” These were the first words of my neighbor as we stood on the icy road, marveling at the successful effort. I assured him I was. As we parted ways and headed for home, I uttered another prayer, a prayer of thanks for good neighbors.

The Christmas spirit may have come early this year but you never know how it will unfold itself. For me, it came in the form of a big, strong John Deere and a good neighbor who took the tough call on a cold, icy morning. Out here, in rural Minnesota, even Robert Frost could agree, a good neighbor is better than a good fence. Merry Christmas, neighbor.