A
man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out his drafty
apartment window into the chilling December night. His 4-year-old
daughter, Barbara, sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife,
Evelyn, was dying of cancer. Little Barbara couldn't understand why
her mommy could never come home from the hospital. Barbara looked up
into her Dad's eyes and asked, “Why isn't Mommy just like everybody
else's Mommy?”
Bob's
jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought
waves of grief...but also waves of anger. It had been the story of
Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob. Small when he
was a kid...bullied by other boys...too little at the time to compete
in sports...and often called names he'd rather not remember.
From
childhood, Bob was different and never seemed to fit in. Bob did
complete college...married his loving wife...and was grateful to get
his job as a copywriter at Montgomery
Ward
during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little
girl. But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer
stripped them of all of their savings and now Bob and his daughter
were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums.
Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938. Bob struggled to
give hope to his child...for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a
Christmas gift. But, if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to
make one ~ a storybook!
Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the
animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again
and again, Bob told the story...embellishing it more with each time
he related it to her. Who
was the character? What was the story about? The story Bob May
created was his own personal biography in fable form. The character
he created was a 'misfit
outcast'
like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named
Rudolph...with a
big shiny nose.
Bob finished the book just in time
to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day.
But the story doesn't end there.
The
general manager of Montgomery Ward caught wind of the little
storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to
print the book. Wards went on to print, “Rudolph,
the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.
By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million
copies of Rudolph.
That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from
Wards to print an updated version of the book. In an unprecedented
gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob
May. The book became a 'best-seller'.
Many toy and marketing deals followed...and Bob May, now remarried
with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to
comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there.
Bob's
brother-in-law, Johnny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph.
Though
the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and
Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.
“Rudolph, the
Red-Nosed Reindeer” was
released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success...selling more
records than any other Christmas song...except for White Christmas.
The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago,
kept on returning back to bless him again and again.
And
Bob May learned the lesson...just like his dear friend, Rudolph,
that being different isn't so bad...in fact, being different can be a
blessing!
(with many thanks to Marlene and Sydney for the above)
Rudolph,
the Red-Nosed Reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say,
“Rudolph,
with your nose so bright,
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?”
Then, all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
“Rudolph,
the Red-Nosed Reindeer,
you'll go down in history!”
Merry
Christmas, Everyone!
Merle Baird-Kerr...written December 27, 2014
To comment about Rudolph...email:
No comments:
Post a Comment