Velvetta, The Christmas Elf, With A Soft Human Side

"Oh no", she said to herself. She repeated the same words. Over and over again. Her big brown elf eyes went from one side of the room to the other and then back. What was she thinking? Should she stop thinking? She just realized that she was more human than she thought she was. Human shaped on the inside. Elf traits on the outside. Her father mirrored her behavior. A wise old man with the brains of a giant genius, but with a crazy heart. A heart that was afraid to let love in. So he blocked his heart with wood. More wood than he could find in the forest. In all forests in the whole wide world. That night she saw the wood around his heart and it changed her. At once.

He loved his daughter so much that he was afraid of sharing her heart with an other man. So he found fault in every man that passed her path. No male elf could ever reach his requirements. The list was long. Too long. The art of ensuring that the male elf would never be good enough for his daughter, was soon passed in the dna of his beloved daughter. Before she could speak and dance, she was injected with some toxic traits. So she fell in love at an older age, but every time the male elf touched her heart, she looked for the same wood that her father carried in his heart. She believed that that was the only way to handle the thing called love. She blocked her heart in the same way her father did.

Until that one day, where the mirror of life decided to show her the truth. Father elf appeared on the scene. Hiding behind his emotions, he entered Velvetta's room. Velvetta's boyfriend was eating mushroom soup. With a huge appetite. Father elf did not even say a word. Not even a simple hello. Showed his non acceptance. Just like that. Velvetta saw it and did not like it. She was annoyed. The mirror showed her that her father was blocking the good flow. Velvetta remembered that there were many occasions where she had been the one that was not so easy to live with. She recognized her own little traits in her father. So she said: "Oh no". 

Instead of giving fuel to her father's blocking behavior, she decided to forgive her father. He was afraid that his daughter would really fall in love. She also forgave herself. The mirror felt the magic. A healing took place. A deep healing. The father and the daughter got unblocked at the same time. Ready to let love in. Again. After such a long time. The father suddenly felt joy in his heart. He could let go all fears. It was all well. His heart was no longer a dangerous place. Velvetta smiled. She felt the love of her father. Deep loving care. At the same time he felt the love of Velvetta's boyfriend and was happy for them. All hearts danced together in love.

In the moment where the mirror showed the human side in the clearest way, the elves were blessed with the deepest kind of love. The love that does not need to be controlled. Love just like it is. That is why elves still love each other deeply until this day. Fathers and daughters stay connected and do not feel threatened by other kinds of love. There is so much room for love, there will always be enough for everyone. Velvetta gave a special place to the mirror and still uses it as a wise advisor. Each time she needs a sweet little lesson, she looks into the mirror and says: "Oh no". Love and only love makes al the difference. In the world of elves. But also in a world with a human touch. They say.

By Liesbeth Leysen, Author, MSc International Management