Small Town with a Big Heart (Victoria Beats the Grinch)

“The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.

It could be that his head wasn’t screwed on quite right.

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.”

He growled, with his grinch fingers nervously drumming,

“I MUST find a way to keep Christmas from coming!”[1]

Even ole Grinch himself would have had a hard time not getting into the Christmas spirit in Victoria this past weekend as the town hosted its 2nd Annual Small Town Christmas Celebration. Business owners, their employees and local citizens turned what would have normally been another day as usual into an unusual day like no other.

The day kicked off with breakfast with Santa at 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. at the Uptown Café. Santa was more than willing to stop and chat with each visitor, and the children excitedly gathered around him wherever he went.

After breakfast, various businesses had activities for the young and young at heart. From cookie decorating to ornament making, storeowners shared their time and talents. Christmas carols gently filled the air as carolers were spotted along the street. Children pressed their faces on store windows to see the many beautiful displays while the Grinch was seen lurking about, shaking his head at all the well wishes and good cheer.

To run off some of the excitement, many parents took their children to the park to experience the snowless sledding or to ride in the barrel train. Grinch clapped his hands in glee as the weather just refused to cooperate. Hats were pulled out and coats zipped a bit taller as a cold drizzle began to fall. Sleigh bells jingled across the park from the draft horses pulling the carriage for carriage rides, and laughter filled the air.

Watching a quiet moment as a story was read in the library or seeing neighbors and friends greet each other at the Community Center, ole Grinch was sure he could spoil the fun, but as he looked,

Everyone down in [Victoria], the tall and the small,

Had a song in their hearts! Without any presents at all!

He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming!

IT CAME!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

“It came without ribbons! It came without tags!

It came without packages, boxes or bags!”

And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!

“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.

“Maybe Christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more!”

And what happened then…? Well…in [Victoria] they say that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day! [1]

Thank you, Victoria, for your Small Town Christmas Celebration so that all hearts could grow that way.

[1] Adapted from How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss