CHRISTMAS CONCERT

I attended Aden’s 4th grade Christmas concert: 7:00 Tuesday night

Watching him standing and singing with his class was the usual delight.

Wait! Schools don’t call it Christmas anymore, oh how this dismays

As they’ve opted to replace Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays.

Still, there is something pure, angelic and often times astonishing

Watching children up on stage as they wave, smile, dance and sing.

I noticed that Christmas concerts have changed so much since I was a little boy

Oh they’re still filled with excitement and innocence and pride and beauty and joy.

And there is a nod to songs I remember, they sang Jingle Bells and Deck the Hall.

But most of the songs they were singing, I didn’t know at all.

It seems the songs I grew up with at Christmas are no longer being assigned

It’s as if in the name of diversity those classic songs got left behind.

Now I believe in diversity, isn’t that what made this country strong?

But it’s creating Christmas concerts at which no one can sing along.

Perhaps I’m too old fashioned, I’m certainly feeling a little Jurassic

But isn’t singing it over and over again, what makes the song a classic?

And if each year the songs are changed at concerts in December

I wonder as they grow up what songs our children will remember.

They’ve taken out religion so the Christmas Story’s been retired

Now they’ve taken out the old songs, the ones I most admired.

If we keep taking away traditions, what’s next, no Santa, perhaps no sleigh?

Then Christmas will be relegated to just another day.

America used to be called a Melting Pot where no matter where you were from

We could celebrate our differences but come together as one.

Now our differences take center stage even at a 4th grade concert, so it seems to me

America is now so multicultural we’ve lost our identity.

I believe in traditions and I believe in holding onto them at any cost

But somewhere in this multicultural celebration my traditions have been lost.

So I left Aden’s concert glad to see my grandson and still filled with joy and pride

But also a little sad as I watched my Christmas memories get swept aside.