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I’m calling this “The Candy Cane Lane Caper” not because it tastes good, but because the place where we always went after dark to check out the holiday lights…The place that could tare us away from our favorite TV show to bundle up, get into our car, and drive to…namely Candy Cane Lane was on the news. Vandals had torn down displays, broken decoration and written graffiti all over the holiday magic we loved. That’s right! The people who lived in this magical place that only existed for six weeks and vanished like Brigadoon did until it was that time of year again, were demoralized. Instead of spreading the holiday spirit as they always had, they were scrubbing of graffiti and picking up broken decoration many of which had been in their families for generations.

As we would be angels watched the news we discover that the place, which cheered people up and caused them to wave hello and run across the street to deliver homemade pies and cookies to people they hardly knew was in a bad way. In fact, the people who lived on that street had turned off the electricity that made their 20-foot Snoopy rotate.

We angels; Cheryl, Danae, Mom and Dad wondered what we could do when we realized that the street that had remained as it had while the decorations got better and bigger each year because each family that lived there followed in the Candy Cane Lane tradition seemed to have breathed its last holiday well wishes. We fondly remembered the residence telling us that when a home on that street was for sale a son, daughter, niece, or nephew bought it. But the sale was only finalized after they pledged to keep Candy Cane Lane and the spirit of Christmas alive.

Years before families that lived on that street had gotten permission to change its name for six weeks. Now, as we watched the news and saw the devastation and how upset everyone was we knew we had to do something and do it fast! Of course, if you’d gone looking for the street sign for Candy Cane Lane at any other time of year you would never have found it because this magical street was much a part of Christmas as Santa is and everyone knows you only see or hear Santa when it’s getting to look a lot like Christmas. And we were sure if we didn’t do something our magical Candy Cane Lane would disappear for good!

So adding up what we had until next payday, we knew we’d have to scrounge around after…eager to find some Christmas cheer we headed to the five and dime returning home with poster board ribbon and glue. So eager were we to bestow a blessing that dinner was skipped as we wrote in crayon ‘WE LOVE YOU CANDIE CANE LANE’ in red and green letters and stapled ribbon around the words. At midnight we hung the signs up hopeful that they would be seen.

And the next day we discovered they were, for the lead story on the 6 o’clock news was our posters and smiling homeowners thanking their unseen Santa’s Helpers, who only now are sharing this Candy Cane Lane Caper tail! If you’d enjoyed this read, pass the blessing along whether in hugs, coco, smiles, or song this holiday season as we did back then, and don’t forget to tell everyone that Jesus is the reason for this season because it’s his birthday we celebrating, so be of good cheer!