Time with Tony - 12/12

 

There’s something truly magical about December when you’re a child. The anticipation, the planning, and the dreaming all seem to sparkle a bit more brightly this time of year. Children approach the season with pure hearts; uncomplicated, trusting, and open to joy in its simplest forms. As adults, we can learn from that gentle perspective, the way a child finds wonder in lights, music, and stories that make the cold nights feel warm.

Some of my fondest memories of that kind of innocence come from sitting next to my dad as he read The Story of the Nine Dragons from The Sesame Street Library. I can still hear his voice, bringing the story to life while Ernie, Bert, and Grover navigated a baseball game against the once feared dragons. Sesame Street had, and still has, a rare gift for blending humor, kindness, and curiosity in a way that speaks to the hearts of children and adults alike. Their take on “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” filled with laughter and familiar voices, captures that same spirit of joy. 

This year, that sense of childlike wonder feels especially close to me. For the first time since 2008, I’ll be in Australia for Christmas, returning to my childhood home. I can almost hear the magpies singing and smell the “Australian bush” drifting through summer air. The memories come back in waves. The laughter, the simple rituals such as my Nan insisting on a hot Christmas dinner in 100 degree summer heat. The stories that shaped who I am such as post-dinner, backyard cricket matches, and swimming in the Ovens River with my cousins from the “big smoke.” It’s a gift to feel that magic again after so many years away, and thrilling to have Anne and my own three kids part of the celebration.

At Friends School, we know that this season is meaningful in many ways. Some celebrate Christmas, others Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just the welcome of the new year. Regardless of the tradition, this is a time to pause, reflect, and notice the light shining around, and within us. We honor that Light in every child, cherishing their capacity for joy, kindness, and wonder.

As we close the year, my hope is that we hold onto that Sesame Street kind of innocence, the belief that the world is good, that neighbors can be friends, and that small acts of care make a big difference. Let’s shield that freedom of childhood from the noise of politics and division, and instead nurture peace, hope, and laughter. Just as our children so naturally do.

From Anne and I to you and your families, we hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday.

In Peace,

Tony