I saw Christmas on Wednesday afternoon. That's right, I looked right into its bright, smiling face, and it warmed my heart.

I know, I know, Christmas decorations are everywhere. They tend to spring up like weeds just after Halloween.

That's not what I'm writing about. I'm writing about actually seeing Christmas, or more precisely, the pure joy that Christmas inspires.

That wondrous joy may seem a bit rare, especially if you don't seek to find it each and every day. The holidays can be a real drain for many -- emotionally, financially and otherwise.

Almost everyone can have a few "Scrooge" moments. The trick is, not to let those moments cloud the other wonderful images of Christmas.

This year, my first sighting was inside the Ironton Elks Club building. It was at the end of the Rotary Club of Ironton's meeting. Suddenly, a minor commotion occurred at the rear of the room as students from the Open Door School began pouring in, each wearing a festival uniform of red, green or white T-shirts.

One look at the students, each of whom faces special challenges, and I could tell their minds were abuzz with a sense of anticipation, excitement and a little stage fright -- which is understandable if you've ever faced the terrifying Rotarians (I'm kidding, of course).

The students were members of the Open Door School's handbell choir.

Their mission was to spread a little Christmas cheer through song.

As holiday tunes poured from the speakers, choir members rang their bells in tune.

But one student stood out.

Jacob Scott struggled to force his hand to listen to his internal instructions. His bell slipped in his hand, almost escaping his grasp.

A determined, almost anguished look took over the 15-year-old's face. Then suddenly the hand obliged; the grip restored.

In a flash, he looked up at the choir director and rang his bell on queue.

Facial muscles instantly transformed his expression from frustration to jubilation -- eyes brightened, smile stretched. Pure Christmas joy.

A few minutes later, that joy was shared and passed around the room as Rotary members were invited to try their hands at ringing along to holiday songs.

The real choir members sat back and chuckled like Santa himself as Rotarians, led by Ray "Doc" Payne, illustrated they were good sports and not too shabby at bellringing, either.

In the end, a good time was had by all, and, most important, a group of Lawrence County residents saw Christmas by simply sharing a few precious moments with their neighbors.

Christmas is all around us, we all just need to look for it.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Ironton Tribune. He can be reached by calling (740) 532-1445 ext. 12 or by e-mail to kevin.cooper@irontontribune.com