The Good In Us
Happy Holidays from Austin + Jason
Happy Holidays!
Hi everyone! This week, both of us decided to take a (brief) break from writing Unwritten to spend time with our loved ones and enjoy the holidays. This has included a lot of wrapping / un-wrapping of gifts, eating more holiday treats than we should, and enjoying laughs with our kids + family visiting from out of town. In short, it’s been fantastic.
We hope that you’ve been enjoying the Holiday Season as well. We’re excited to pick things back up in January. We’ve been busy in the background with our usual article writing, but are getting close to launching the official “Unwritten” website. Go-live should hopefully happen here in the next few weeks 🤞
A Little Reminder About the Good in Us…
One of my favorite things about Christmas (and the surrounding holidays) is that it has a tendency to bring out the best in people. There’s just something about the season that causes us to be a little kinder, a little more prone to look out for one another. It brings out the good in men and women.
One of my favorite (true) stories about this “inherent goodness in us” occurred during the “Christmas Truce” of 1914.
Amid the turmoil of World War I an extraordinary event took place along the trenches of the Western Front—a temporary and spontaneous ceasefire known afterward as the "Christmas Truce."
Prompted by the spirit of the Christmas Eve night, troops from both the Allied and German forces laid down their arms and emerged to celebrate Christmas day in the middle of “no man’s land” (the dangerous middle ground between opposing trenches).
The truce saw soldiers exchanging small gifts like cigarettes, food, and souvenirs, and engaging in conversations despite the language barriers. They sang carols, played impromptu football matches, and buried their fallen comrades together, setting aside their differences for a brief moment of humanity.
Afterwards, exasperated generals had to move entire battalions elsewhere along the front lines as soldiers began refusing direct orders to fire upon the enemy soldiers whom they had just shared the holiday with only a few hours previously.
The episode remains one of the most remarkable occurrences in military history. If you’re interested, here is an excellent short video of the “Christmas Truce”.
Some Additional Inspiration
If you want some additional “feel good” content for the holidays, check out this remarkable commercial from Germany. A family member shared this with me and we felt it was worth sending to others.
Happy New Year!
-Austin & Jason