Winter Season

A man is at his finest
     towards the finish of the year;
He is almost what he should be
     when the Christmas season is here;
Then he's thinking more of others
     than he's thought the months before,
And the laughter of his children
     is a joy worth toiling for.
He is less a selfish creature than
     at any other time;
When the Christmas spirit rules him
     he comes close to the sublime.

When it's Christmas man is bigger
     and is better in his part;
He is keener for the service
     that is prompted by the heart.
All the petty thoughts and narrow
     seem to vanish for awhile
And the true reward he's seeking
     is the glory of a smile.
Then for others he is toiling and
     somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas he is almost
     what God wanted him to be.

If I had to paint a picture of a man
     I think I'd wait
Till he'd fought his selfish battles
     and had put aside his hate.
I'd not catch him at his labors
     when his thoughts are all of pelf,
On the long days and the dreary
     when he's striving for himself.
I'd not take him when he's sneering,
     when he's scornful or depressed,
But I'd look for him at Christmas
     when he's shining at his best.

Man is ever in a struggle
     and he's oft misunderstood;
There are days the worst that's in him
     is the master of the good,
But at Christmas kindness rules him
     and he puts himself aside
And his petty hates are vanquished
     and his heart is opened wide.
Oh, I don't know how to say it,
     but somehow it seems to me
That at Christmas man is almost
     what God sent him here to be.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

For all of the presents
You put under the tree,
For all of the times
You picked up after me...

For all of the times
That you tucked me in tight
And we stayed up to talk
Long into the night

For all of the days
I was feeling so down
And the times that you turned
To a smile my frown

For the cookies you baked
And the stockings you stuffed,
For the cuts that you healed
And the pillows you fluffed...

For the time that you took
Off the training wheels
For the nights that you made me
My favorite meals

For the years throughout
Elementary school
For knowing the right thing
Isn't always what's cool

For putting up with
Those preteen years
For making it through
All the laughs and the tears

For all of the days
That you loved me so much
Even during the times
That I made it so tough...

For all of the memories
We have already shared
For the future for which
We cannot be prepared

For being there for that one-year-old boy
Who sat in the house and sucked on his thumb
For working so hard at being his mom
And making that boy into the man I've become
Look back on all that we have been through
And look at me now mom, how far I have come

For all of the times I'll never forget
Merry Christmas to you, Mom
Here's to the memories
We haven't had yet

Merry Christmas...Love, Nick

Snow is falling to the ground,
Piling up in enormous mounds.
School is canceled for the day.
Children run outside to play.

Snowballs are thrown in the air.
No one has any care
About school - only fun,
Because the day is a snowy one.

Snowmen are stacked very high;
Their top hats almost skim the sky.
To make them round, they must pat,
Then finish off with mittens and hat.

As the weather gets cold,
The children are told
To come inside and eat -
Enjoy hot chocolate with a couple treats.

Once the kids are done,
They put on their gear for some more fun.
Some of them play around,
While other kids just lay on the ground.

Another kid makes snow angels
Until the dog named Bojangles
Runs through his masterpiece,
But then the owner yells cease.

After Bojangles
Ruins all the snow angels,
Kids slide down the hill
'Til they are bitten by a chill.

Almost over is the day.
The children start to walk away.
As snow falls, so does the sun.
Time to go in; the day is done.

Winter, Winter,
can you see?
You mean a whole
lot to me!

Winter, Winter,
do you know
I love the fluffy
pure white snow?

Winter, Winter,
you're turning snow into ice.
Winter, Winter,
that's not very nice!

Winter, Winter,
you're a big show.
We make snow people
'til it's time to go!

Winter, Winter,
there are angels on the ground.
Winter, Winter,
they're all around!

Winter, Winter
it's Christmas Eve.
Winter, look
at our beautiful trees!

Winter, Winter,
make it snow
So that Santa
can come and go!

Winter, Winter,
come right up!
Come have some hot cocoa
in a cup!

Winter, Winter,
don't go away.
I really, really
want you to stay!

Winter, Winter,
I know you must go,
but before you do,
make one last snow!