Now that that’s out of the way, Happy Advent, all. 

Christmastime has always been a time for storytelling. 

Some of these stories are in serial form and are a day-by-day adventure leading up to December 25.

One of these, as referred to above, is The Cinnamon Bear.

For 26 days, from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day (taking Sundays off during its original airing), children Judy and Jimmy Barton try to find their silver star that tops their Christmas tree every year.

The pesky, but verbose, Crazy Quilt Dragon has taken it, so they need the help of Paddy O’Cinnamon — the Cinnamon Bear — to get it back.

With Paddy’s help, they are able to fly to Maybeland, leaving their attic (and mother, apparently?) behind.

Over the next few weeks, via cliffhanger after cliffhanger, they visit locales such as the Looking Glass Valley, the Root Beer Ocean, the Island of Obie, and even the North Pole. 

These travels bring them face-to-face with creatures such as King Blotto the Third, Presto the Magician, Queen Melissa (continuously pronounced “ME-lissa” for some reason), Snapper Snick the Crooning Crocodile (who shows off his talents performing “underwater singing”), and the very mean Wintergreen Witch.

Between constant losing and breakage of the star, repeated challenges from the witch, and Crazy Quilt stealing the star again and again, the siblings finally get their precious ornament back with the help of the man himself — Santa Claus — just in time for Christmas. 

Or did they?

Episode 26, the finale, finds our heroes back in the attic, near the Christmas ornaments, apparently waking up — after having dozed off wrapped in a . . . crazy quilt.

Almost 50 years before (sorry, another SPOILER) Pam found Bobby alive in the shower, our two friends’ epic tale may have been nothing more than a dream . . . or was it?

Whatever really happened, as we heard the Cinnamon Bear sing his song one more time — “I’m the Cinnamon Bear, with the shoe button eyes . . .” — we have all felt like we’ve come to the conclusion of quite a journey.

Some may feel a little disappointed that we have to say farewell to Judy, Jimmy, and the Cinnamon Bear after spending so much time with them.

Isn’t that what we wanted, though? Didn’t we want them to get their star back? Didn’t we want Christmas to be here?

The path versus the destination

Many a conversation can be struck up over what is more meaningful or important, the goal or destination to be reached or the process to get there.

We see this in sports a lot, athletes and fans finding more enjoyment in the long season versus the achievement of winning a championship. 

Sometimes when we get to where we want to be, we find ourselves missing how we got there, unable to move on. 

This could also be a lesson to us that our goal or destination wasn’t worth the effort it took to get there. This is where we can grow in wisdom.

Some things are definitely worth the time and effort, though. 

There’s a whole book series about people walking a long distance so they can throw a ring away. Powerful, important stuff. 

We can see this during Advent, or later during Lent, also. It’s important to get to Christmas and Easter, but getting there is just the start, not the priority.

Let’s take it a step further. Getting to Heaven is the goal, having much more meaning than anything we’re doing during our mortal lives.

Through the wonders of technology, The Cinnamon Bear has been heard on the radio or via home listening devices every year since 1937, so young people (or people of any age!) can relive the adventures over and over again, but the journey always has to end.

There’s more to life than hearing an ostrich sing about “scrambled alarm clocks and bacon” or marveling at the friendship between Fe Fo the Giant and Fraidy Cat. 

Enjoy the journey, treasure it, but never lose sight of the destination and ultimate goal. 

Enjoy the moments

Most people won’t say “Christmas is OK, but I get more out of Advent.”

Yet, Advent is important, as is every day of our lives.

Make the most of all of the days and be ready to accept what tomorrow brings.

Every step in our lives has an endpoint. We are all going somewhere all of the time.

Advent teaches us this as we wait for Christmas. Lent teaches us to get to Easter.

We can use these lessons to get through shorter or longer journeys than these.

It’s a blessing if these journeys are joyful and filled with treasured moments, but there is always more God wants to give us when we get to where we are going.

So, go ahead and ride that “aeroplane” fueled by soda pop, piloted by that small talking bear, and find your silver star.

Just know that someday, you have to leave Maybeland, and that’s OK.

Thank you for reading.

I’m praying for you.