Was the Grinch a Who or a What?
By | December 22, 2017
Theodor Seuss Geisel (1904 – 1991), American writer, poet, and cartoonist at work on a drawing of a Grinch, the hero of his forthcoming book, 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' (Getty Images)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas was one of those Christmas specials that only aired one time a year. In my day, if you were lucky enough to have a television that got good reception, without tinfoil on the rabbit ears, you may have seen it just before Christmas every year.
The Grinch was an unusual person that did not appreciate Christmas the way the Whos down in Whoville did. Actually, he was the epitome of everything evil and unpleasant causing him to be shunned by society, in general. Early in life, he had been ridiculed and never recovered from the negativity.
As the story went, the Grinch was somewhat of a misfit because he was different. Eventually, he became bitter and avoided people in general. The Grinch took up residence atop of a cold and dreary mountain. He and his faithful dog, Max, were all each other needed… or so the Grinch thought.
So, to make a long story short, the Grinch lived in a constant state of misery. Because of this, he wanted everyone else to be miserable too. Have you ever heard the old saying, “misery loves company”? Well, that saying is probably one of the truest statements ever made.
The Grinch was unhappy, and he did everything in his power to see to it that he spoiled Christmas for all of the Whos down in Whoville. He carefully hatched a plan to steal their presents, their decorations and the food for their Christmas feast. Surely that would ruin the day!
The Whos woke up on Christmas morning to discover that everything was gone. Initially, they were naturally confused. After the gravity of the situation set in, they ultimately regrouped and carried on without all of the material things they had just lost.
Now you know that most stories have an underlying message and/or lesson. The lesson here, my friends, is twofold. It is so easy to get caught up in another person’s drama and stoop to their level. Don’t do it! Happiness comes from within and, to borrow a line from the movie, “not from a store”.
Additionally, although the Whos realized that the Grinch was responsible for taking their things, they welcomed him with open arms. In the end, he returned all of the things he had taken from them and it actually made him feel good. The Whos invited the Grinch to join their celebration. They even let him carve the roast beast!
My personal note to you is that somehow, society has gotten away from, “loving your brother”. It is so easy to get caught up in our own circumstances and forget that everyone is going through something.
Grinch is a term often used to describe a person as someone who is negative and tries steal your joy. I’m sure we all know someone who would qualify as a grinch. In this story, the Grinch was a person (a Who), but in real life, a grinch can be anything that tries to steal your joy (WHATever it is).
This time of year is a perfect time to reflect on all the good things we have in our lives and not focus on the negative. Nobody has the true power to steal your joy. Happiness is a choice that comes from within.
