Lightening the Burden

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.”   ∼ Charles Dickens

“He [Fezziwig] has the power to render us happy or unhappy; to make our service light or burdensome; a pleasure or a toil. Say that his power lies in words and looks; in things so slight and insignificant that it is impossible to add and count ’em up: what then? The happiness he gives is quite as great as if it cost a fortune.”

∼ Ebenezer Scrooge, speaking of Old Fezziwig, to the Ghost of Christmas Past in “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens

There’s a delightful musical version of “A Christmas Carol” titled “Scrooge” that came out in 1970 and starred Albert Finney as the old miser. It’s one the top movies I’d need to have with me if ever stranded on a desert island. There’s also a new movie, called, “The Man Who Invented Christmas,” about Charles Dickens and the writing of “A Christmas Carol.” It is equally delightful, and I think I must add it to my desert island movies.

What has this got to do with anything? I’ve been watching bits and pieces of these movies lately. Yes, it’s August, but I often enjoy Christmas “stuff” more at other times of the year than Christmastime – there’s no pressure. So, let me ask: have you ever known or met anyone who was like Scrooge’s old boss, Fezziwig? I mean anyone: friend, family member, acquaintance, teacher, co-worker, or even a boss? Anyone. Have you ever felt as miserable as Ebenezer Scrooge, only to remember, without the aid of three ghosts, that there are and have been these wonderful people in your life who could put a smile on your face just by walking in the room?

Thinking about Fezziwig, I realize that there are people I know who can put a group of other people at ease with their calming presence. One-on-one, they truly see and accept you as you are, and you trust them implicitly. There are some whose voices, when you hear them say “hello” on the other end of the phone, make you feel warm and happy. There are those with such a contagious laugh that you can’t stop yourself from laughing with them. Then there are those whose quirks and eccentricities might seem well … eccentric, to others, but that endear that person to you.

I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be one of these kinds of people – who can brighten a room and lighten a burden – than a … Scrooge. Yes, I’d rather be a Fezziwig than a Scrooge. And if I’m ever Scrooge-like, then I wish for the transformation he experienced.

Can I lighten the load for another? Of course I can. Sometimes all it takes is a smile.