During the holidays, we dug through the drawer with all of our old DVDs looking for the Christmas movies to introduce to Nora. Disney’s Mickey’s Christmas Carol was one of them. The Mickey’s Christmas Carol DVD has three other “bonus” cartoons, with a special one titled Small One. I had never seen this animated short film before that was produced in the late 1970’s. I fell in love with it instantly. And to me, the message in this movie speaks to our hardest hit scoliosis warriors.
The story tells of a young boy, outside Nazareth, who has a small donkey that can no longer live with a farming family because he cannot earn his keep. The donkey is playful and good spirited, but he is older and smaller than the other donkeys. The father tells his son that the donkey must be sold, but when the son brings the donkey into town, the pair is ridiculed and mocked. The son loves the donkey and is hurt over all the abuse that they suffer. The redemption comes when they encounter a man seeking to purchase a donkey and he shows them respect and kindness. The man needs a gentle…special donkey to carry his pregnant wife to Bethlehem. The boy sells the donkey to the kind man and watches as the couple and donkey leave on their journey as a bright star appears in the sky.
While they don’t say it, it’s clear the kind man was Joseph. And he was looking for a donkey to do the very important job of carrying Mary, pregnant with baby Jesus to Bethlehem. The point is that despite his appearance, this donkey will play an important role in history. It’s a story that has Christian themes, but transcends religion and really is a story about friendship, sacrifice and purpose. And how each individual deserves dignity, everyone has their place, and kindness should be shown to everyone.
The beautiful, haunting and even heart-rending, theme song has such meaningful lyrics. The obviousness of the song immediately reminded me of all the stories I have read from parents, teens, and adults on numerous support groups about their struggles with what severe scoliosis and the surgeries they have had to endure have left them with… How they have been robbed of something that seems so basic…Stature. So many heartbreaking stories that showcase the cruel world we live in where being exceptionally short and different is a punishment in this world.
The song from this movie is kind, sweet, and purposeful. Reminding that all are loved and needed and they too can play an important role in history. Maybe this is why I fell in love with this movie the way I did and got chocked up every time I watched it. Here are the lyrics:
Small one, Small one, Don’t look so blue
Somewhere a friend is waiting for you
Someone still needs you to brighten his day
There’s a place for each Small One
God planned it that way
Time is passing, days are few
Give while you can to one smaller than you
All things living great and small
Each brings a gift that is needed by all
Small one, Small one, Don’t look so blue
Somewhere a friend is waiting for you
Someone still needs you to brighten his day
There’s a place for each Small One
God planned it that way.
You can watch Small One here on YouTube or just listen to the theme song which is played in the opening credits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGa6oCxhpZA&noredirect=1
Nora's Journey with Early Onset Congenital Scoliosis 
Loved this entry, Jackie. It was very touching. I hope 2015 brings many answers as well as blessings.
I read through most of your blog entires. We have a daughter who also has congenital scoliosis. She will turn 3 in February. She is at a 58 degree curvature right now. She was diagnosed when she was around 3 months old, although I noticed her lump on her back right after our water delivery. We were told it was a muscle but at three months we requested an xray just to be certain. I could hear your heart in each journal entry…. 🙂 Thank you for sharing.