Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
Next year all our troubles will be miles away
Once again as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who were dear to us
Will be near to us once more
Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now

I prefer this version of the song to the newer, cheerier lyrics. Although the author says he wasn't thinking of the war when he wrote it, the words of separation seem all too appropriate today. More than that, it says we can still celebrate when things aren't perfect. It tells us to hope for the future but to make a holiday out of what we have today.

The "cheery" version, on the other hand, tells us everything is better right now and is going to stay that way.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yuletide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now

It is a nice idea, I'll admit. But I don't think I want to depend on it. I don't believe anything will always happen "from now on," but I do believe we can "muddle through." That's what hope is all about.

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now.