A Gentle Reminder

Summary


"A Gentle Reminder" is a short Christmas poem in which a mother muses that the old ways of celebrating the holiday are the sweetest — the familiar chimes, the familiar songs, the warm gladness of tradition. But her young son listens carefully, and with quiet slyness turns her own words back on her, pointing out that her oldest tradition of all was always giving him something new. The poem captures a tender, playful exchange that balances nostalgia with a child's sharp and irresistible logic.

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Something new about Christmas?
Why, what were half so sweet
As the old, old way of keeping
The day our glad hearts greet?

The old, old chimes are dearest;
The old, old songs are best;
It’s the old, old gladness welling
Within each joyous breast.

A mother and her young son share a playful Christmas moment in "A Gentle Reminder" by Alice W. Rollins.

Then my little lad said slyly,
“Remember, if that’s true,
That your old, old way, mamma dear,
Was to give me something new.”

Credits

Alice W. Rollins was a 19th-century American poet and author known for her light, warmhearted verse. "A Gentle Reminder" showcases her gift for capturing the gentle humor and emotional warmth of family life in just a few deft stanzas.