Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (R. Blane, H. Martin) ~ Erwin Lazaro 102

As the Celebration of Christmas Day approaches, the Spirit of Christmas remains constant with each passing moment.  For some, this is the favorite time of year.  For others, it’s the exact opposite.  And, for every person, carrying their own unique experiences, everything in between can be described.  Regardless of the conditions, regardless of the situation, the Spirit of Christmas remains the same.

“Count your Blessings”, people say in times of hardship.  Why is that?  Well, to put it simply, it’s all about how a person perceives their situation that makes all the difference.  Is the glass half full or is the glass half empty?  Just as the original lyrics for“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, sung by Judy Garland, searches for a better future, Frank Sinatra’s effort to revise the lyrics, celebrates a present happiness.  The melody doesn’t change, but make a few lyrical revisions and turn that frown upside down!

Bottom line: Do what needs to be done.  Be prepared.  Don’t wallow in sorrow.  It actually takes more energy to wallow.  Turn that negativity into the positive force that each person is capable of activating and the possibilities are endless.  So is the amount of energy created by constructive efforts.  It’s amazing what people can do with the right attitude.  It’s not a matter of gearing up and giving your all.  It’s a matter of focusing on one building block at a time.  Work on the first block and then the next and the next … before you know it, you’ve built something to be proud of, and to be thankful for.

The Spirit of Christmas is just a reminder of what is always swirling around each and every one of us with every breath we take.  Call it a New Year’s Resolution.  Call it a Birthday Celebration.  Call it Easter.  Call it Rehab.  Call it whatever you like.  The fact remains the same.  Whatever it is; it’s A L W A Y S here.  If I can do it, you can do it too.  =)

From Wikipedia:
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis.  Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original.  The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.  In 2007, ASCAP ranked "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" the third most performed Christmas song during the preceding five years that had been written by ASCAP members.

In 1957, Frank Sinatra asked Martin to revise the line "Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow".  He told Martin, "The name of my album is A Jolly Christmas.  Do you think you could jolly up that line for me?"  Martin's new line, "Hang a shining star upon the highest bough," has since become more widely recognized and sung than the original phrase.  Martin made several other alterations, changing the song's focus to a celebration of present happiness, rather than anticipation of a better future.  On The Judy Garland Show Christmas Special, Judy sings to her children Joey and Lorna Luft with Sinatra's alternate lyric. [citation needed]

Although the 1957 rewrite is the most familiar to listeners today, the Judy Garland lyrics have been recorded by a number of artists, including Sinatra himself (in 1950 and 1963 single recordings), Doris Day (in The Doris Day Christmas Album), Ella Fitzgerald (in Ella Wishes You a Swinging Christmas), and James Taylor (in October Road).