Great songs are often inspired by difficult times, even great Christmas songs. Yet music has a way of turning pain into a relatable way of connecting with others, a form of consolation, and even an opportunity to create a more hopeful situation.
When former “American Idol” finalist Brooke White released her Christmas album – called, appropriately enough, White Christmas – she didn’t just include her favorite joyful hymns and carols; she also included a new song, “Christmas Card,” that has the potential to impact people in a positive way because it contains a message of reconciliation.
During an interview on Christopher Closeup, White explained, “I’d like to say that every relationship I’ve had is peachy and dandy and there’s never been any sort of contention. But that’s just not life. There are always a few people that something happens with or you lose touch with. So that was on my mind and my heart.”
When she sat down to write an original song for the album, the idea of opening her address book to start working on Christmas cards popped into her mind. She thought of seeing the name of a person with whom a relationship had been severed and wondering if she should send them a card.
White said, “There’s that thought that maybe this is my chance to reach out. It doesn’t mean that everything’s fixed or back to normal, but it’s an attempt at either forgiving another person for being hurtful or apologizing to a person for, even in the most innocent ways, hurting them. I think every human being has a few people that they wish they could make things right with. So this song is my opportunity to put that into words.”
One of the motivations for White’s recording “Christmas Card” and other songs on the album, like “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Silent Night,” was her faith. She said, “I wanted it to be, not just a fun Christmas record, but one that celebrates Christ. ‘Christmas Card,’ even though it doesn’t necessarily bring up Christ, it’s about forgiveness which is a strong Christian theme.”
The traditions of home are on White’s mind since she grew up in Mesa, Arizona, in a family that cut down its own Christmas tree (and still does) – and went for twice-weekly rides in their Aerostar van to look at Christmas lights in the neighborhood. However, White is no longer just a daughter, sister and wife; she’s a mom.
In May 2012, she gave birth to her and her husband Dave’s first child: a daughter named London. And just like Jesus came as a gift of love for all of us, London has been a divine blessing as well. White said, “I had just gotten home from New York and performing at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting. I laid London down to take a nap and she locked eyes with me . . . I was stressed out at the moment and a little overwhelmed – and she looked at me and, truly, it was like the face of God. It’s like she was telling me, ‘This is what’s important, and it’s okay.’”
White concluded, “Since she was born, everything shifted in my mind. I know most every parent goes through some sort of transformation, but for me it was instant with London. She came out not crying; her eyes were open, and she was this alert little person ready to live. I can’t wait to see this little person blossom and grow. I love her. She’s perfect. She is love.”
(This essay is a recent “Light One Candle” column, written by Tony Rossi, of The Christophers; it is one of a series of weekly columns that deal with a variety of topics and current events.)
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