Christmas time, for those parts of the world where it is celebrated, is typically thought of as a time for cheer, family and friends. For some it centers around Santa Claus and gift giving, while for others the focus is spiritual or religious. Some prefer the notion of Festivus. For many it's a combination of these things. While I do usually spend Christmas with family and friends, for me it's as much a time to think than any other. So this week I chose a story that is specifically a Christmas story, but not a typical one. This is another Hans Christian Andersen story, The Fir Tree. As with the others of his I've read, this one can be found in the collection available at https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27200.

Consider the possibility that you can practice expanding the way you feel and see others at this time of year to how you feel and see others every day. Trite, perhaps, but something worth thinking about, I think.

I hope you enjoy the episode and have a merry festive season.

Chapters

• 00:00 Intro
• 02:00 The Fir Tree by Hans Christian Andersen
• 25:01 Commentary