JOY ALONG THE WAY: CHRISTMAS SEALS TELL REAL STORY

You've received your American Lung Association Christmas seals, haven't you? Have you studied them? In detail? Did you read the little note at the bottom of the sheet telling about the seals this year? If you can't find them, used them or didn't get any, I'll tell you the story of this year's seals and my reaction to them. Excuse my arrogance in assuming you want to know.

Remember when the seals were all alike? Later, the Association had two seal designs to a sheet. Still later it added "To and From" stickers. Things change.

This year, another change. Every seal is different. The Triaminic (a medication) Parents Club sponsored a contest for children from all 50 states to submit a drawing depicting the theme, "Things that make you feel good at the Holidays." Imagine the number of entries! There is a winner from each state and an overall national winner. This winner is a 15-year-old boy, Travis Machacek from Buhl, Idaho.

I heartily agree with the judges. The little l 1/8 by l l/16-inch (odd number, but I measured) winning seal is a picture of a little mouse presenting a Christmas gift to a cat! Just think of the hidden message there. A little creature offering a gift to his worst enemy. You don't see appeasement here either, such as, "Hey I'll give you this present if you'll stop killing and eating me." It is not depicted in the mouse's body language. You don't even see fear on the mouse's face. It is close up to the cat, indeed, facing it. You see only good will.

I wonder if Travis thought of a helpless Babe in a manger offering a gift to all mankind, mankind that is all too frequently killing babes today. As he drew, did he see someone on a Galilean hillside saying, to his astounded listeners, "Love Your enemies?" Maybe. The little seal has written on it, "Christmas is love."

Am I making too much of this, Travis?

Still assuming, maybe you're wondering what the winning Missouri seal is like. It is Rudolph flying in the night sky over a little red house with a snowman close by. It's cute and perhaps that's what made the artist feel good during the holidays. Rudolph isn't followed by the antler enhanced hitch behind him. A demerit for the artist?

Armed with an 800 number from my pharmacist, John, I tried to contact Triaminic Parents Club to inquire about the nature of the award, hoping it would be no less than a college scholarship. I was shuffled from department to department, from the Midwest to the East Coast, put in a lot of telephone "hold time" until I gave up -- for the moment. Cookie dough was waiting. Packages needed wrapping. Trees needed trimming. Yeah, plural. I have two this year, the regular one and a smaller one for the Christmas Mouse family. There's Manuel, the father mouse, from the Overly-Raker Collection and his wife whose name tag I lost and three youngsters from the J.B.M Collection. I've never named them but this year they will be Tri, Ani and Nic! There might be some of those little seals decorating the miniature tree.

REJOICE!

~Jean Bell Mosley is an author and longtime columnist for the Southeast Missourian.