Let’s Make This World Grinch-less

“The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” was a fun cartoon for kids who got to see how the Grinch finally liked Christmas. In the movie ”The Grinch” starring Jim Carey If we would watch it with adult eyes there are so many different messages which we could pass on to our children and grandchildren.

At the summit of Mount Crumpet, the angry Grinch has made his home in a cave. His only companion is his dog, Max. At this point, the story does not tell us how or why the Grinch chose to live there far away from everyone. Down in Whoville, all the people are getting ready for Christmas. Unfortunately, as with most people the Whos have made Christmas too commercialized.

Little Cindy Lou Who, whose father works at the post office is running after him as he buys present after present and she asks her dad if he hasn’t had enough present buying because surely Christmas means more than just presents. She meets up with the Grinch at her dad’s job at the post office as he has come down to Whoville to create some great mischief. His first reaction is to dump Cindy Lou in the present packing machine but then he saves her and leaves her wrapped up in Christmas paper to wait for her father to come and save her. Cindy Lou hears her father tell her that she must be careful that the Grinch is evil but she thinks to herself if he saved her surely he can’t be all bad later on she poignantly thinks – is it Christmas that has changed or is it her?

We all know the answer to that. Christmas has changed and we should gather our children and grandchildren around and tell them of what Christmas is really all about. That Jesus was born on Christmas Day and was a child just like they are now and that this is His birthday just like they themselves have a birthday they can call their very own.

In regards to Cindy Lou thinking that the Grinch can’t be all bad let’s teach our children and grandchildren that even if say a neighbor seems grumpy or mean perhaps he or she is just lonely and needs someone to show them that they care. You must agree that children will be the first ones to want to help anybody who is elderly because their hearts don’t know any hate. If your children are old enough to understand it might be a great idea to take them to a senior citizens home this Christmas and let them bring joy into the hearts of all of those lonely people who might not have any family left.

She gets so curious about the Grinch that she goes to two of the oldest residents of Whoville and little Cindy Lou Who only 8 years old wants to know all about the Grinch and especially why he hates Christmas. The two spinsters who at one time tried raising the Grinch tell their tale. It appears that the children of Whoville get sent from up above to the adult Whos and so one night when a strange wind blew it landed a basket on the ladies’ front porch. In it was a creature unlike any other Who all green and fuzzy. They accepted him and sent him to school. Now it was at school that Grinch in his heart was like any other boy and girl but his outward appearance was such that he was bullied and ridiculed by all the other children. Came time for Christmas and the Grinch still having the Christmas spirit had fallen in love with one of the little Who girls – Martha May. He worked so very hard making a special Christmas present for her looking so forward to the holiday. The night before he tried shaving his fuzzy face and arrived at school with a scraped face. He had a bag over his head and the teacher doesn’t do anything to discover why but demands that he remove it. The other Who children of course laugh at him and in anger, he breaks the gift, runs amok, and then runs off vowing that he hates Christmas.

Here we must emphasize to our children who in turn will pass it on to their children that if a child in school seems odd or different or is of a different color to them it is wrong not to accept them and even worse to shun them and laugh at them. Instead to accept them, find out about them, and make friends. A lot of times it just may turn out that the most popular child at school can make the worst friend and the oddest child may become a friend for life. We are first of all born equal and we all deserve to be accepted and wanted. The other side of the coin is that you should let your children know that if they are ridiculed or bullied for one reason or another they must come to you or their grandparents or any other relative available to talk things over and that they will be helped to overcome this situation. If they see any other child in school being bullied or attacked in any way they must go and get a teacher’s help or tell a grown-up right away. It is important to discuss this with children at a young age so that they know how wrong it is and they grow up with understanding and compassion in their hearts.

Once Cindy Lou understands what caused the Grinch to be how he is she makes it her business to get the Grinch back into society. When it is time to decide who will be the Ceremony Master for the Christmas Festival she suggests the Grinch. Here I must say knowing that these now adult Whos who were responsible for what happened to the Grinch are surprised at Cindy Lou’s suggestion but accept it if the Grinch happens to get the invitation and if he does come.

It is so wrong for people who know the reason for a person being shunned from others and not taking the time to say sorry and welcome back is a sad thing indeed. That’s why children must be raised not to push anyone away but to take the time to make a relationship work to make things turn out alright.

Cindy Lou this little brave girl is the one who goes all the way up Mount Crumpet to talk to the Grinch. She has no fear only compassion in her heart. She finds him and she invites him. The Grinch is surprised, to say the least. He almost chooses not to accept the invitation because he remembers what they all did to him so long ago but finally goes anyway. Everything seems to go quite well as well as it can no one could think that suddenly the Grinch would be overly friendly. Things go terribly wrong, terribly fast. The girl that the Grinch fell in love with at one time is there and the mayor publicly asks for her hand in marriage, and what do you think they offer as a prize for being Ceremony Master? They gift the Grinch with a shaver the same kind which he used on that fateful day all those many years ago. Well needless to say it ends in a fiasco and do those Whos admit their mistake? They blame the fiasco on little Cindy Lou.

It takes a big heart to say I’m sorry and if such a gesture is made then there should be no references to what started the problems in the first place there should be just a brand new beginning. Children should be taught the art of true forgiveness and if some wrong has been done to them then to accept a sincere sorry with no ill feelings and forgive.

Of course, the Grinch goes on to hate Christmas and goes on a spree on Christmas Eve. He takes all the Who decorations, presents, and food thinking that this will stop Christmas from coming. When he and his dog Max have gotten the heavy sleigh up Mount Crumpet and Christmas morning is dawning the Grinch hears no crying. As much as the Whos have commercialized their Christmas they still understood its true meaning and that it would come even without all the added things. They gather around a plain undecorated tree and sing a welcome to Christmas.

Now our heroine Cindy Lou once again has gone up Mount Crumpet to get the Grinch to come and join their Christmas. The Grinch realizing that Christmas has arrived anyway suddenly has the Christmas spirit fill his heart. All those positive feelings he once had came flooding back. Cindy Lou has climbed atop the sleigh which is perching precariously on a slope ready to go falling down the mountain. Grinch now has the strength of ten Grinches and he saves Cindy Lou, and together with her and Max they go sleighing down Mount Crumpet and return all of the Christmas things to the Who. The Grinch sits down to share their Christmas meal with them.

So as much as it is wonderful that children can believe in Santa let us make sure they know the true meaning of Christmas and that it will come whether there are decorations and presents or even if there are none. Christmas is Jesus' birthday first and foremost the modern world has added the rest. Churchgoing should be a big part of the holidays, Bible readings of the night that Jesus was born, and of course Christmas carols. Let’s raise children with understanding and compassion and the future will be so much brighter for new generations and the world will perhaps become Grinch-less.