A Story For Christmas
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Gary [email protected]
It was close to Christmas. The air was cold and everyone was running from store to store, making holiday purchases. I was only 6 years old and I still believed in Santa Clause and flying reindeer.
I didn’t question the magic of Christmas. It was a great feeling.
My mommy pushed me through the throng of holiday shoppers as she made her way to the grocery store. I wanted so badly to walk into the other stores and see inside. The windows were decorated so nice and each store looked as though there was a party going on. My mother continued to push.
The grocery store wasn’t nearly as crowded as the other shops in town. It was only slightly warmer than outside. There were very few Christmas decorations up and the ones that were up were not very festive.
My mother reached into her purse and pulled out her food stamp book. She sighed as she counted the amount left. It always seemed like there was never enough.
“Mommy?” I said as we walked up the cereal aisle.
“What, honey?” Mom asked as she checked the prices of the off-brand cereals on the bottom shelf.
“Do you think Santa got my letter today?”
My mommy looked up. Her eyes looked tired and sad. She grabbed a bag of toasted oats and slipped it into the cart. “Honey, I don’t know if Santa did or not,” she said.
“Do you think that he will get me the bike I wanted?”
“I don’t know, honey. I am sure he will try, but I won’t make any promises.”
“What about the doll? Or maybe he will bring me the movie I asked for.”
“We’ll see what happens at Christmas.” Mom’s voice broke when she said that. I didn’t say anything else.
When we got home, I went to my room that I shared with my brother and sister. Dad came home and we could hear mommy crying.
“I don’t know if I can take it anymore,” I heard her say through her tears. “I can’t bring myself to tell the kids that we can’t afford Christmas this year.”
I didn’t understand what that meant. Daddy looked close to tears himself. I was so confused. Why was my family so unhappy?
A couple of days later, my grandma came to pick me and my brother and sister up. She said we were going to the mall to see Santa. My mommy kept insisting that my grandma take us to a movie. She didn’t want us to see Santa and she had a worried look on her face.
“Nonsense,” my grandma said, “I am taking the kids to see Santa. I am hoping for a miracle for you, but I am not going to have Christmas completely disappear for these kids.”
I wasn’t sure what a miracle was, but if grandma wanted one for mommy, I knew it had to be special.
The mall was beautiful. There were Christmas lights and garland strewn everywhere. Right in the middle of the courtyard, there was a huge Christmas tree, completely decorated in colorful balls and lights.
As we walked by the tree I started to feel a little sad. I remembered what mommy said to daddy when she was crying.
We stood in line to see Santa. By the time I got to Santa I knew exactly what I wanted to ask him. Grandma squeezed my hand as she led us up the stairs and onto Santa’s sleigh.
My brother told Santa how good he was this year and how he really wanted a new pair of sneakers. He wanted the kind that all the other boys in school were wearing. Santa laughed a hearty laugh and said he would see what he could do. My little sister took one look at Santa and started to cry. Grandma took her as fast as she could. I was the only one left on Santa’s knee.[[In-content Ad]]Santa looked at me with a big smile and asked, “Well, have you been good this year?”
“Yes. I have been very good. I need something really big for my family this year, Santa.”
“What would that be?”
“I need a miracle.”
Santa stopped smiling and looked down at me. I was afraid that he would say that miracles were only for special girls and boys. I thought he would laugh at me and tell me that he didn’t have any miracles.
Before he said anything, I told Santa, “I don’t want anything else. All the stuff that I wrote in my letter, I don’t want it. My mommy is sad and grandma says we need a miracle, so that’s all I want.”
Santa smiled suddenly and said, “If you be really good and have faith, I will bring you a miracle.”
When we got home, I started moving stuff around. I had to make room for the miracle. All I needed was the miracle. Then everyone would be happy again.
That night, right before bed, my daddy came in to tuck me in. He read me a story and gave me a sip of water. As he was pulling the blankets up he asked, “Did you see Santa today?”
“I sure did, Daddy, and he told me that if I am really good I am going to get what I asked for.”
“What did you ask for?”
“A miracle.”
Dad was quiet. He seemed almost as sad as mommy was. “Honey, do you know what a miracle is?” he asked.
“No, but Santa said that if I am real good and have faith, then he will bring me a miracle. Then you and mommy will be happy again.”
Daddy left the room. I snuggled in bed. The next day was Christmas and I couldn’t wait. I wondered what a miracle looked like. What color was it? Did it make noise? Maybe it was something that mommy and daddy could wear.
When Christmas morning arrived I leapt out of bed. My brother and sister were still asleep and so were my parents. I snuck past their bedroom door and into the living room. I had to see what a miracle looked like.
At first I was disappointed. On the coffee table was a little fake Christmas tree, not even a foot tall. There were four decorations on the tree and topped with a star made from aluminum foil from the kitchen. Sitting around the tree were a few small gifts. I wanted to cry. Santa forgot all about my miracle.
Mom and Daddy came into the room. There was a smile on their face. I smiled back and all three of us hugged and wished each other a Merry Christmas. I didn’t feel very merry though, as I sat on the couch in front of our little Christmas tree. This was not what I had expected at all.
My brother unwrapped his presents. He got a pair of sneakers, not the ones that he asked for, but he was happy anyway. He liked the color and hugged mommy. My little sister got a new rattle, but she was happy just to have the box it came in. My daddy got two new books that he wanted for a long time. My mommy got a gift card to the grocery store from my grandma. I sat there and watched everyone open their gifts. Mine stayed wrapped in their boxes.
Mom finally nudged me, “Well,” she said.
I took the first box. In it was a baby doll. It was pretty and dressed in pink. She smelled a little funny and Daddy said it was the plastic. I looked down at my other present. It was the smallest gift. I tenderly opened it. Inside was a note and a necklace. I handed the note to my mommy to read to me.
“Big miracles come in small packages. Look at the smiling faces of your family. This is your miracle! Love, Santa Clause.”
I looked at my family. My brother and sister were trying out their new presents and grinning from ear to ear. My mommy was smiling so big. I hadn’t seen her smile like that in a long time. My daddy was reading one of his new books and he looked happy, too. I put on the necklace. It was a pink fairy with a chain, just long enough to see the fairy when I looked down.
It was then that I realized what a miracle is. A miracle can be very big indeed – bigger than my house even – yet small enough to fit into the hearts of my family members.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
And have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
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It was close to Christmas. The air was cold and everyone was running from store to store, making holiday purchases. I was only 6 years old and I still believed in Santa Clause and flying reindeer.
I didn’t question the magic of Christmas. It was a great feeling.
My mommy pushed me through the throng of holiday shoppers as she made her way to the grocery store. I wanted so badly to walk into the other stores and see inside. The windows were decorated so nice and each store looked as though there was a party going on. My mother continued to push.
The grocery store wasn’t nearly as crowded as the other shops in town. It was only slightly warmer than outside. There were very few Christmas decorations up and the ones that were up were not very festive.
My mother reached into her purse and pulled out her food stamp book. She sighed as she counted the amount left. It always seemed like there was never enough.
“Mommy?” I said as we walked up the cereal aisle.
“What, honey?” Mom asked as she checked the prices of the off-brand cereals on the bottom shelf.
“Do you think Santa got my letter today?”
My mommy looked up. Her eyes looked tired and sad. She grabbed a bag of toasted oats and slipped it into the cart. “Honey, I don’t know if Santa did or not,” she said.
“Do you think that he will get me the bike I wanted?”
“I don’t know, honey. I am sure he will try, but I won’t make any promises.”
“What about the doll? Or maybe he will bring me the movie I asked for.”
“We’ll see what happens at Christmas.” Mom’s voice broke when she said that. I didn’t say anything else.
When we got home, I went to my room that I shared with my brother and sister. Dad came home and we could hear mommy crying.
“I don’t know if I can take it anymore,” I heard her say through her tears. “I can’t bring myself to tell the kids that we can’t afford Christmas this year.”
I didn’t understand what that meant. Daddy looked close to tears himself. I was so confused. Why was my family so unhappy?
A couple of days later, my grandma came to pick me and my brother and sister up. She said we were going to the mall to see Santa. My mommy kept insisting that my grandma take us to a movie. She didn’t want us to see Santa and she had a worried look on her face.
“Nonsense,” my grandma said, “I am taking the kids to see Santa. I am hoping for a miracle for you, but I am not going to have Christmas completely disappear for these kids.”
I wasn’t sure what a miracle was, but if grandma wanted one for mommy, I knew it had to be special.
The mall was beautiful. There were Christmas lights and garland strewn everywhere. Right in the middle of the courtyard, there was a huge Christmas tree, completely decorated in colorful balls and lights.
As we walked by the tree I started to feel a little sad. I remembered what mommy said to daddy when she was crying.
We stood in line to see Santa. By the time I got to Santa I knew exactly what I wanted to ask him. Grandma squeezed my hand as she led us up the stairs and onto Santa’s sleigh.
My brother told Santa how good he was this year and how he really wanted a new pair of sneakers. He wanted the kind that all the other boys in school were wearing. Santa laughed a hearty laugh and said he would see what he could do. My little sister took one look at Santa and started to cry. Grandma took her as fast as she could. I was the only one left on Santa’s knee.[[In-content Ad]]Santa looked at me with a big smile and asked, “Well, have you been good this year?”
“Yes. I have been very good. I need something really big for my family this year, Santa.”
“What would that be?”
“I need a miracle.”
Santa stopped smiling and looked down at me. I was afraid that he would say that miracles were only for special girls and boys. I thought he would laugh at me and tell me that he didn’t have any miracles.
Before he said anything, I told Santa, “I don’t want anything else. All the stuff that I wrote in my letter, I don’t want it. My mommy is sad and grandma says we need a miracle, so that’s all I want.”
Santa smiled suddenly and said, “If you be really good and have faith, I will bring you a miracle.”
When we got home, I started moving stuff around. I had to make room for the miracle. All I needed was the miracle. Then everyone would be happy again.
That night, right before bed, my daddy came in to tuck me in. He read me a story and gave me a sip of water. As he was pulling the blankets up he asked, “Did you see Santa today?”
“I sure did, Daddy, and he told me that if I am really good I am going to get what I asked for.”
“What did you ask for?”
“A miracle.”
Dad was quiet. He seemed almost as sad as mommy was. “Honey, do you know what a miracle is?” he asked.
“No, but Santa said that if I am real good and have faith, then he will bring me a miracle. Then you and mommy will be happy again.”
Daddy left the room. I snuggled in bed. The next day was Christmas and I couldn’t wait. I wondered what a miracle looked like. What color was it? Did it make noise? Maybe it was something that mommy and daddy could wear.
When Christmas morning arrived I leapt out of bed. My brother and sister were still asleep and so were my parents. I snuck past their bedroom door and into the living room. I had to see what a miracle looked like.
At first I was disappointed. On the coffee table was a little fake Christmas tree, not even a foot tall. There were four decorations on the tree and topped with a star made from aluminum foil from the kitchen. Sitting around the tree were a few small gifts. I wanted to cry. Santa forgot all about my miracle.
Mom and Daddy came into the room. There was a smile on their face. I smiled back and all three of us hugged and wished each other a Merry Christmas. I didn’t feel very merry though, as I sat on the couch in front of our little Christmas tree. This was not what I had expected at all.
My brother unwrapped his presents. He got a pair of sneakers, not the ones that he asked for, but he was happy anyway. He liked the color and hugged mommy. My little sister got a new rattle, but she was happy just to have the box it came in. My daddy got two new books that he wanted for a long time. My mommy got a gift card to the grocery store from my grandma. I sat there and watched everyone open their gifts. Mine stayed wrapped in their boxes.
Mom finally nudged me, “Well,” she said.
I took the first box. In it was a baby doll. It was pretty and dressed in pink. She smelled a little funny and Daddy said it was the plastic. I looked down at my other present. It was the smallest gift. I tenderly opened it. Inside was a note and a necklace. I handed the note to my mommy to read to me.
“Big miracles come in small packages. Look at the smiling faces of your family. This is your miracle! Love, Santa Clause.”
I looked at my family. My brother and sister were trying out their new presents and grinning from ear to ear. My mommy was smiling so big. I hadn’t seen her smile like that in a long time. My daddy was reading one of his new books and he looked happy, too. I put on the necklace. It was a pink fairy with a chain, just long enough to see the fairy when I looked down.
It was then that I realized what a miracle is. A miracle can be very big indeed – bigger than my house even – yet small enough to fit into the hearts of my family members.
Merry Christmas, everybody.
And have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
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