There’s not a lot of deep meaning in this one. It is a short sequel to 2009’s “Prep & Landing”. We get to see the two main characters, Wayne and Lanny, doing all the cool things we saw them do in the original. This time in Santa’s office on a mission from Mrs. Claus. It packs a lot of action into its seven minute length, but not much plot.
I did enjoy the idea of the perfect Christmas present for Santa. What do you get the man who gives to everyone else? I love that his gift is not large or expensive. It is small and thoughtful. It required a lot of planning and very little money. It is exactly the opposite of what all the commercials tell us we should be giving as Christmas gifts.
I find Christmas commercials VERY frustrating. Somehow over the last few years ‘giving’ has become ‘gifting’, excess had become obligatory, and the Christmas season has become something we need to ‘win’. They offend me. When I think about Christmas gifts I have given and received it is never the most expensive ones that I remember, it is the most meaningful. One year I gave my mom a $5 coffee mug that had a cartoon that illustrated one of her sayings. She used it every day for years until it broke. Once the Princess got an afghan that a friend of the family had quilted and used every day until she died. One year my parents showed up on my doorstep on Christmas Eve. While all these things had an actual cost, their value was not in what was paid for them. Their value was in the thought behind them.
Fight the pressure to buy more. Give with depth and meaning, not with money. Go the extra mile and think about what really matters. Give the gift that makes a difference. Do not try to ‘win’ Christmas, just try to make someone smile.
Pastor in Mouse Ears 