By Reba Phelps

One of my favorite childhood movies, in which I can recite all the words and all the lyrics to every song, is Annie. Not the newer versions but the old 1982 version that now looks like it was filmed one hundred years ago.

I completely loved how happy the curly-headed Annie appeared to be most days. Sure, she was an orphan with no parents, stuck in a government orphanage with an alcoholic, abusive overseer, Miss Hannigan, but she seemed like she was making the best of it with her cherished dog, Sandy.

For years and years every single time I would hear the song, “It’s a Hard Knock Life”, I would start belting it out. I would often sing the song to irritate my mother when she made me tackle meaningless chores around the house. She was not amused with my attempt to be humorous. The song in the movie is sung by the orphans who all agree they are being mistreated by Miss Hannigan, They relentlessly mock her but also sing about how terrible their lives are, due to the hardships that she caused. Even as a child when I would hear the song, slow down and listen to the actual lyrics, it made me sad for the girls.

The word hard knock life by definition means a life full of hardships, pains, adversity and struggles. Hard to sing about it and look happy, but little orphan Annie did this.

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I feel like this holiday season qualifies as a hard knock holiday life. So many of my friends and my family have suffered great loss this year by losing loved ones. This will be the first year that I will not see my oldest daughter for Christmas, and my last Christmas having a child living at home. My youngest is naturally sarcastic but once you add going to physical therapy three times a week and a bum knee, the girl is perpetually in a bad mood. Things aren’t perfect for many people for one reason or another. More times than not any kind of change, no matter how small, can bring us down to our knees. No pun intended.

But travel back in time to the very first Christmas. The birth of Jesus was definitely filled with hard knocks. Unplanned pregnancy. Forced to travel late in pregnancy because of a census. Born in a lowly manger because there was not other room for him anywhere else. Surrounded by shepherds, farm animals and scared parents. It doesn’t get more chaotic than this.

I know that every family suffers some level of loss, pain, medical issues, travel issues and every pitfall that can happen during the holidays but it undeniably takes every fiber of your body to stay centered on the birth of Jesus during these not-so-great days. Jesus truly is the only thing that can fill any void we have. When you start to feel overwhelmed, stop in your tracks and think about the amazing and perfect gift that was gifted to us. Good tidings of joy by the Prince of Peace.

“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”
Titus 3:4-6

Merry Christmas to you and your family! Thank you for reading my articles. It truly brings me joy when someone stops me and shares with me that they read my work.