“God forgive me for the time I’ve wasted.”
-Ebenezer Scrooge, A Christmas Carol
1984, starring George C. Scott

This, if anything, summarizes what A Christmas Carol is about in a single line: repentance. Changing. Awakening to the truth of oneself and becoming a better person. Scrooge lived a long and miserable life with scarce moments of joy, and so he became cold. But as Christmas and the New Year come around, he is given the gift of seeing himself in his entirety, the events and choices which have made him who he is. He is given the chance to change, and so he does.

No one can undo the past. But we can control who we become in the future. Make the best of it, and use your time, however great or small, to be a better person.

A happy ending and hope for the future.

That’s what Chrismas means to me.