By: Alan Scott Brown
The holiday season of 2009 was a lean one for many. Doug Benford was eager to see the year fade off into the realms of history.
He didn’t hear the alarm this particular Friday morning. Sparks, his beloved tan and white Jack Russell Terrier and Dachshund mix, jumped on his chest with an ample supply of tongue lashings to the face, warnings for outdoor bladder relief.
“Okay okay, pal, I’m up!” Doug said with a bite to his groggy voice. “Hop off the bed. I’ll meet you at the back door.”
On his way to the closet he asked himself common a question, “My better-half brought him home, saying he was part rooster. Why can’t he just wait for the alarm?”
Doug laid-out his clothes for the day – jeans, flannel shirt, and leather jacket. As he was changing, he heard a familiar scratching coming from the back kitchen door.
“Hey, Sausage!” (His wife’s nickname for Sparks.) “So help me, if I wind up painting that door I’ll have your hide on the garage wall!” said Doug as he threw on his shirt on his way to the back door. As Doug opened the door, Sparks let out his high pitched terrier yelp. Just then, like a flash, the short-haired companion headed for his favorite backyard spot.
The Tennessee morning had a light dusting of snow on the ground which gleamed with intermittent rays of sunshine, coming through the high clouds. As his routine of late, Doug walked slowly across the frosty lawn, taking in each step, each sight, as if organizing a mental photo album.
A streak of unfortunate circumstances had disabled his income. He had adjusted surviving on what little savings was left, as well as weekly unemployment checks. He had one more CD he’d not cashed-in, but the clock was ticking. After almost fifteen years at the Spring Hill GM plant, the layoffs cast him into a devastating position. He had to put his SUV up for sale just to make it through a few months. Now, an antique Ford pick-up took up the driveway space. The truck was a project he once enjoyed, making efforts to refurbish it. For now, its bed served to hold branches, twigs and scrap lumber. Doug had resigned to warming part of the house with wood he had chopped-up from selective trees on the property. He feared cutting electricity altogether, as he considered resigning to a log cabin with a potbelly stove.
With foreclosure looming in the near future, he turned to gaze slowly over the home he and his wife moved into some years ago. In those times it was sheer dreams of Americana, complete with a house full of visiting kids from the block and friendly next-door neighbors. Standing in the cold morning air, while facing the back of the house, he caught a quick glimpse of an apparition. Through the frozen fog of his exhales, he saw a little girl peering out an upstairs bedroom window, wearing an innocent grin only adoring parents could memorize. For a moment, just before her image melted away, she held out her hand with a slow wave. After a pregnant pause, he came to himself, shaking his head after a few seconds in the midst of waving back.
Grieving families know all too well how quickly an automatic smile can be transformed into the frown of loss. Dreams of the tragic car crash on a wet highway that took his wife, Cheryl, and his four year old, Emily, haunted his days and nights. The years seemed like weeks, since that deadly sword of fate carved a trench in his heart. What was intended to be a wonderful July 4th get-a-way to the Smokies, had plunged his world into an abyss, so dark and so deep, that only a day’s work at the plant could distract his focus from the torture. Now, he could no longer use full-time work as the medication of choice. Jack Daniels was his new covert friend.
The house was filled with echoing vacancy. Doug’s depression pained his physical body as he stepped up to a young Loblolly Pine tree, the “King Pine” of the South, planted firmly along the back line of the lawn. It was now the lone tree, carefully nourished and treasured with love. It was a tree of so much pride, wrapped in a father’s heart. He got the idea from a neighbor to plant a seedling in the yard on the day Emily was born, a symbol marking the start of a precious God-given life. As she and the tree grew, he nailed a pink ribbon to the trunk each year on her birthday, gauging her height. On the day of high school graduation, Emily was to stand next to the tree, in full cap and gown with cameras flashing, as he was to nail the last pink ribbon to the trunk. Now, the tree grows as a stark reminder of the missing pink ribbons, which would never be added.
A tear slowly rolled down into his salt-n-pepper stubble thinking of what might have been. He and the family dog were now struggling in the wake of this unexpected cosmic eraser of hopes and imaginings. As he blinked to see his wristwatch, Sparks broke the heaviness by taking wild, full-beans laps around Emily’s tree. With a half chuckle he hollered, “Yep, let’s get it together, boy. The kids will be waiting.” As much as he wanted to reminisce, the day’s schedule wouldn’t allow it.
The old rusty Ford sat in the driveway nearly every day as Doug took the economically-forced bus ride to his annual part-time gig. He gave it a pat on the hood as he walked by on the way to the bus stop, some two miles from his house. After boarding, the sprinkling of a late November snow was already beginning to say its good-byes to the morning sun. As he traveled from intersection to intersection, watching the angry holiday traffic, he was reminded of the dreary miles to a job he had learned to despise. His circumstances had soured his very bones, which caused a dismal filter on everyday life. It was only short-term; a job to keep the water bill afloat with soup cans on the shelf for another month. Sitting next to another city traveler he whispered to himself, “Homelessness is for February.”
The local mall was overwhelming the day after Thanksgiving. The insanity of consumerism was in fast forward mode, with shoppers only taking time out for a dash at any empty table in the food court. Black Friday stress was evident on every face, full of hustle and bustle, and way beyond the expected annual rat race. A year of recession had taken its toll, especially for low and middle income households. Customers needed good deals. Coming down the escalator were platoons of humanity with shopping bags in both arms, trying to recall where they had parked.
At the bottom of the moving stairs, where the steps vanished into the first floor, families were lined-up. In a roped maze line, displaying a parade of holiday weariness, children were decked out in their festive best. There were little girls sporting satin gowns, coupled with silk ribbons in their hair. The boys were squirming, pulling at their neck ties of Christmas colors. Mothers were busy working on uncooperative strands of hair, along with fathers staring absently into space, eating steaming hot pretzels, in efforts to tune out the mayhem. And there in the distance, in the center of the activity, was a throne, laced in gold metallic paint and red velveteen, fit for a…Santa. Cameras were locked and loaded for personal documentary, at a fat cost.
Each morning on the way to the outside employee entrance, Doug passed an elderly Salvation Army kettle volunteer ringing his little tin bell, greeting potential donors loaded down with holiday cares.
“Hello, young fella!” the old man belted, with a sincere warmth that could melt frost. Doug never wanted to appear as a Scrooge, so he always responded like an award-winning actor on the red carpet, “Good morning!” The old guy always seemed to pick up on Doug’s tossed spirit. Wishing to cheer, the jolly man responded, “Yessir, it’s always a good morning when one can serve where you’re doing the most good.”
Doug stepped up his pace, thinking to himself, “Do the most good by staying home, that is.”
Every day – weekdays and weeknights throughout the month – the routine was the same. And, every day he thought of alternative ways to get to the employee entrance without passing the old man at the red kettle stand. In his sleep he heard, “It’s always a good morning when one can serve where you’re doing the most good.” At times he wondered if he said it aloud after Sparks would wake him, jumping up in the high antique bed, landing on his chest, whining and sniffing his face.
The door of the break room flew open as Doug came stumbling in, murmuring under his breath. Startled with the sudden sound, a cleaning lady, who was pouring a cup of coffee, responded lightheartedly to his clumsy entrance.
“Hey Doug, did Mr. Grinch bring you to work today?”
He closed the door with a bit of frustrated force. With a large exhale he replied, “Oh, Maggie, that old bell ringer out there has two volume levels, loud and very loud.”
Maggie again responded with a joyful chuckle, “Last year, you complained about that old man just about every day. Let me ask you, now did it ever get you what you prefer?”
Doug grunted as he took off his jacket.
“Come on,” Maggie said, “I’ve already got you a cup of cheer this morning. I just made the first pot. Donuts are in the box.”
Maggie was a poor single mom who worked at the mall, sweeping up debris shoppers left behind, emptying trash cans and mopping floors. For such a hard working woman, with just above a minimum hourly wage, she never let her state in life rule over her disposition. It was noticed, and certainly Doug had a front row view of her jovial way of getting through daily life. Maggie was the type who had Christmas spirit during the storms of the spring, in the heat of July, and while the leaves of every hue let go of their branches in autumn.
Doug had a tendency to hide stored-up layers of envy, wishing he could rise above his strata of fog to shine like Maggie. Through the year he would walk the mall for exercise and visit with Maggie on her breaks where the two would debate about the recession, religion, and geopolitical news. Yet, the one thing he wouldn’t discuss with his friend was his loneliness, due to his cascading losses in life. Although they were like a wave he had to surf, he remained embarrassed by his state. Sadly, he felt the pain was for him to own, not to share. Maybe it was his pride, or just the way he was raised by somewhat stoic folk, but he kept his troubles to himself.
After taking another sip of the fresh java, Maggie shared more than he expected. “Ya know, Doug, you’ll have to bring that little mutt of yours up here before Christmas comes and goes. My little guy, Aiden, has a DVD of “101 Dalmatians” and just cackles at the antics, along with all those cute faces. He’s in first grade now and has yet to even pet a dog. Can you believe it? Honestly, one of these days I’ll have enough saved up for a dog from the pound.”
Doug found himself listening closely to her, dreading all the while the next twelve hours at the job. With a click, the time clock struck 9:30am. Downing the last swig of coffee, he pulled the words out of his mouth, “I guess I can’t stop the clock, Maggie. I’ll see you later.”
“I hear that. Have a good day!” said Maggie. She slowly shook her head as she watched him walk away with shoulders slumped, heading to a section of metal lockers.
Chin to his chest, Doug opened the locker door. He let out a big sigh at the sight of what was hanging on a hook. The fluorescent lights above him landed on a bright red Santa suit, complete with black boots, a white wooly strap-on beard, and a hat only the best Claus could wear. With a weak groan, he collected the heavy fur wardrobe and turned to the men’s room to change.
Doug was a man of integrity at heart. Playing the role of the jolly old elf to the throng of kids and parents was done well; after all, this is what he was hired to do. Through the weeks he sat in that chair posing for pictures and videos with children from all slices of life. Overbearing mothers, some with their diamonds and silk purses, bothered him the most as they pushed and prodded their little brats with the will of a perfection-driven, Hollywood director.
He was amazed at the variety of Claus worshippers. No matter the race, religion or status – whether rich or poor, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, or atheists – the farce continued with plastic smiles and a “HO-HO-HO”. For weeks on end he fought with the beard-pulling kids and petrified youngsters, forced into this scene by their pseudo stage-moms. Then came the dreaded college students, who insisted on posing with him for the fun of it. Oh, and then there was the occasional Calvin Klein-clad seven year old, who must have come from a long line of mobsters, threatening him with Christmas Eve cookie and eggnog withholdings. Frankly, the shock wore off after hearing a set of twin girls demanding that they get whatever the little girl before them inquired about. It was that caliber of child that pierced his heart the most, as he thought of the sweetness of his little Emily and her selfless personality.
What kind of young woman could she have been, if life had been granted? He fought the gravity of the emotional vortex which took him to that awful place of deep inexplicable loss.
With each day he felt a growing anger toward children. So much so, he counted down the remaining shopping days when he could hang up the suit and candy canes for the very last time.
*****
It was the night of December 23rd, when Doug shuffled his way up the driveway after another marathon day in Santa’s court. In the darkness he spied an envelope taped to his front door. It was a notice for interruption of electrical service from non-payment. He looked down, shook his head, letting the document slip out of his hands. No amount of cinnamon sticks, sugar cookies, nor magical reindeer dust could keep the feelings of resentment and dejection away.
He found himself shouting into the chilled air, “God, what are you trying to do to me? Don’t you think I’ve been through enough?” Exhausted, coupled with anger and sorrow, Doug sat on the front steps, pulled his knees up to his chest and released his tears.
After dragging himself inside, he reached for the liquor cabinet in the kitchen for a shot of synthetic comfort. Being pragmatic, he immediately began to plan just how he could survive another two months without electricity, until the bank took the house.
Later, that same night, he stoked up the fire in the fireplace, warmed up a can of soup on the hearth and sorted through his mail. Sparks just looked at him with an expression of, what seemed to be, canine telepathy, ‘Whatever it is, it’s okay.’ Doug, appreciated the cute facial expression. While scratching the dog lovingly behind the ears, he replied with a whisper, “You’re right, boy. You’re right.”
As he and Sparks snuggled, with the oak logs ablaze, warming his cold feet, thoughts of his childhood rolled through his memory like an old movie.
Doug’s dad always left the nativity set for him to assemble under the tree. He recalled taking a great deal of satisfaction placing all the characters where he pleased. In particular, there was one figurine of a lamb, just tall enough to peer over into the manger, as if curious to why there was a baby where his dinner should be. Doug broke out with unanticipated laughter just revisiting the thought. Soon, he would be like the baby Jesus: in a crowded town, without a home, hanging out with an animal. That was the last thought ushering him into a broken night’s sleep.
Christmas Eve morning was uneventful: same walk to the bus stop, same bus route with the same street scenery. For the last time he would stroll by the old Salvation Army soldier ringing that hideous bell. With Doug’s head turned the opposite direction, the familiar daily gruff voice addressed him once again.
“Hello young man! It’s a good morning, ain’t it?”
In a huffy tone Doug nodded, “Yeah, I guess. I’m sure you’re serving where you can do the most good.”
Without a trace of offence, the old man laughed, “That’s right, son. Loving others before loving ourselves. God willin’, next Christmas I’ll be waitin’ for ya, right here.”
With a brisk step, he moved away with the gate of a New York jaywalker.
For the third day in a row Doug entered the break room to find his friend Maggie wasn’t in her usual place. The coffee pot was empty and the counters hadn’t yet been wiped down. He felt a sagging inside, knowing this was his last morning to pretend to be someone he’s not. But, without Maggie’s bright morning face, along with her joy-filled attitude, the boost to make Santa what he could be, would be lacking.
After he suited up, he visited the mall manager’s office to ask about her. She had left a message that her son had the flu and, actually, asked for Doug to call her when he got a break later in the morning. He found himself feeling sorry for the little guy as the hours dragged on. At his noon break, only after a final “HO-HO-HO”, he went back to the office to ring Maggie up. Her voice shook as she told him of her overwhelming fear of Swine Flu. She had seen the symptoms before, during a recent outbreak. Struck by the unsettled sound in her voice, Doug’s heart sank. Surprisingly so, he experienced a deep emotion for a little boy he had never met.
Maggie’s voice cracked a bit, “Doug, he wanted to come see you…I mean, Santa…before you shut down. As you can see, that’s not gonna happen. He simply won’t see Christmas this year at all. I’m wondering if you would think about doing me a favor. Why not come here, to the apartment as Mr. Claus, after you get off tonight? If you can’t, I’ll understand. No pressure.”
Doug paused only for a moment. Without thinking it through, his response came so naturally, “Sure, sure I will. We close down early tonight so Kris Kringle can get back to the North Pole for dinner with the Mrs.”
With a great deal of relief, she gave him her address in hopes for a holiday shocker that would be one of Aiden’s greatest childhood memories.
Around 5:30 that afternoon, Doug got off the bus near the apartment complex. Right away he realized where he was. Way back when, he and his co-workers would laugh and mock the “trash” that lived in this ghetto. If there were second class citizens in town, they lived here, according to his way of thinking. He looked up into the cloudy sky with a quick and silent thought, “God, why me?” The neighborhood was known for gang violence year-round. He began cautiously walking toward the rundown complex. Looking over his shoulder a few times, he asked himself why he wasn’t carrying a weapon for protection. He shook off the mental images, as he mustered up some holiday cheer for a sick little boy. Maggie soon heard a “HO-HO-HO” at the door.
Maggie’s chin quivered as she fumbled a bit disengaging the locks. She opened the door to find Doug standing there, decked out in his Santa suit, exhausted from the gauntlet of last minute shoppers. On the verge of collapse herself, Maggie responded, “Oh, Doug, thank you for coming. You have no idea what this will do for his spirit. Come in, take a load off.”
He sat nervously on the couch, with his knee bouncing up and down. After pouring him a mug of hot cocoa, she prepared Doug for the visit to come. She softly spoke of their financial frailty, admitting Aiden was unaware of the struggles they faced. Doug was touched by her candor. He understood and opened up to her the facts of his similar circumstances. Clearly they shared a harboring of unearned, unnecessary guilt and shame. He knew their kindred spirit hit a benchmark as the conversation led them both. With hard truths shared, Maggie squeezed his hand as they both looked down at the floor recognizing their somber moment.
Almost as an afterthought, Maggie reached for a sealed plastic bag, pulling out a surgical mask. She stepped up closer to him, ready to place it over his strap-on white beard. Doug quickly grabbed her by the wrists, took it in his hands, and placed it back in the bag.
“But, Doug, he has a 103 temp right now.” she explained with deep concern.
With a half smile he replied, “He doesn’t need to remember a St. Nick who took precautions to be with him in a time of need. I’ll take my chances.”
She nodded in agreement while holding back the sob rising from her belly once again. With a deliberate hush in tone, she said, “Okay, Follow me.”
Aiden was in bed, half asleep from the meds prescribed. He was pale. His eyelids were swollen and his little face was gaunt. Being roused by the opening of the bedroom door, he heard his mom’s forced cheerful voice, “Honey, look who dropped by to see you.”
When Doug walked through the door, Aiden gasped, “SANTA!!”
With the best delivery he could put out, Doug moved into Santa-mode, “HO-HO-HO! Merry Christmas, young man!” The little guy threw his head back with an exuberant belly laugh of his own, followed by an aggressive, lingering chest cough.
Maggie knew what needed to happen.
“I’ll leave you two alone. Honey, Santa can’t stay long. Okay?” She then exited, closed the door softly behind her, bracing herself against the hallway wall.
Right away, Doug’s heart was lifted as he saw a very ill little boy whose bloodshot eyes lit-up with wonderment. Doug had witnessed hundreds of red-cheeked faces, with a look of awe only a child could express, but this face was vastly different. The smile Aiden displayed at his unexpected visitor could have ignited Doug’s house with every Christmas light string possible.
Surrendering to being authentically moved, in his best Santa-voice he belted, “Well, son, what do you want under your tree in the morning? It’ll be here in a flash and I don’t have much time.”
In response, Aiden struggled to sit up in bed, “Santa, can I tell you a secret?”
Doug tried hard not to laugh but managed to say, “The fact is, Santa is well-known for keeping secrets. Let me have it.”
The boy motioned him to bend down closer so he could speak softly, “Um, we don’t have a Christmas tree this year. Mom said we couldn’t afford a tree. So, I know there won’t be anything waiting for me, ’cause without a Christmas tree, you can’t put any gifts under it, right? Everybody knows that.”
As Doug felt a lump growing in his throat, he turned his head away, and looked out the bedroom window for a moment for distraction. He dared not allow the boy to see Santa breakdown. Aiden continued sharing his thoughts.
“Santa, there’s just one thing I want, if you can do it.”
Doug quickly responded, holding tightly to his Kringle character, if only by the fingernails, “Of course I can do it! I’m the king of the elves! No limitations here! What will it be?”
Aiden whispered slowly, “Give mom a new face in the morning.”
For the boy’s sake, Doug wanted to look like Father Christmas understood the request. Concerned he was not going to pull it off, he spoke quickly, “Well, what kind of face should she have tomorrow?”
With a sore throat, the boy swallowed hard, “Uh, Santa, ever since I got sick she no longer smiles. She wears a strange frown, one I’ve never seen before.”
Doug paused and stroked his fake beard. A sense of bona fide fatherhood rolled through his veins, a sensation he hadn’t possessed since the loss of his little Emily. He cocked his head slightly to one side. It seemed to be an automatic gesture, as he brushed a strand of hair from the boy’s forehead with his white-gloved hand, and with the other, presented a candy cane.
Leaning closer to the lad, he said tenderly, “Boy, just love your mother every minute of every day, and you’ll see that smile. Now, close your eyes and get to that ‘long winter’s nap’ you hear about. Merry Christmas, Aiden.”
The boy was weak but had enough strength to squeeze Doug’s finger. As he broke out with a grin he replied, “Merry Christmas to you, too. And be careful on the roof.”
With that, Doug left the apartment, as if in a rush, without saying more than Merry Christmas to Maggie on the way out.
Standing in the open doorway, watching him quick-step toward the bus stop, she yelled, “But Doug, what happened in there?” As he climbed onto the nearly vacant bus, he felt crushed with the perplexing crossroads of what to do for the two of them. All the way home one phrase from an old man bubbled up in his mind.
‘It’s a good morning when one can serve where you’re doing the most good.’
Once again, he considered his poverty, his rapidly depleted savings, and his last payroll check from the mall. It was a stark certainty for him, unemployment launched once again on Christmas Day. The means were slim to none, and for him, humbling. Taking off his white gloves, he rung his hands, bowed his head, and for the first time in a long time, prayed for wisdom, strength, and clarity
*****.
Christmas morning came early for Maggie. She had attempted sleeping in a chair in Aiden’s room, which didn’t deliver. After taking his temperature, she shuffled her way to the kitchen to make her best Christmas breakfast to celebrate the most special, the most meaningful holiday of the year. It wasn’t long until a weak little boy awoke to the smell of buttermilk flap-jacks and French toast, crowned with cinnamon. The boy noticed the candy cane still clinched in his hand. He thought to himself, ‘This can be Mom’s Christmas present.’
Slowly lifting himself out of bed, he stumbled down the hallway to hang the peppermint cane on his mom’s bedroom doorknob. Walking passed the sliding glass door to the patio, he could see the sunlight peeking through the slats of the vertical blinds, wishing he had snow and health to play in it. Rounding the corner, he could see his mom working diligently in the kitchen with her hair a mess, along with swollen, sleepy eyes. Maggie’s tired face brightened as she saw him standing there in his footed pajamas, with some long-awaited color in his cheeks, looking as if he had a little more energy than the day before.
“Merry Christmas, honey!” she said without hesitation. Hugging his frame, she could feel his weight loss, “Have a seat. Breakfast is almost ready.”
He made his way to the table where a rare sight was waiting. By a stack of pancakes, dripping in warm maple syrup, was a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice blended with milk. He knew then that this was no ordinary morning. Maggie had saved up enough to splurge on a holiday breakfast that was beyond their norm of a simple cup of oatmeal. Aiden felt an appetite for the first time in three days, and it was good timing for them both. After a quick prayer, which included, a “Happy birthday, Jesus”, he began to dig in.
After a bite or two, Aiden got up the courage to ask a hard question. “Mom, after breakfast can I go outside to play? Lots of my friends will be playing with their new toys. I feel good enough. Really I do.”
Barely drawing a breath, Maggie almost cut him off, “Absolutely not, young man. You won’t be playing for a few days yet. You are not out of the woods by far. Besides silly, the sun isn’t up yet.” With a puzzled look on his face he charged back, “No, Mom. I saw the sun coming through the sliding glass door.”
Puzzled, Maggie looked at her watch, put down her fork before heading to the patio door. As she walked away, he sprinkled more cinnamon on his delectable stack.
From the other room he heard her inquisitive tone, “What in the world? Aiden, come to the patio, quick!!!”
The boy leapt up, with strength he didn’t think he had, and hurried to the sliding glass door to find his mom pulling back the blinds. As she did, it revealed a brightly lit patio with a string of white lights up and down the posts, lacing around the patio door frame. His eyes followed the string of lights along every inch in disbelief, until he spotted a magically lit, gloriously decorated large Christmas tree standing in the corner of the patio. He couldn’t catch his breath out of pure shock. All the branches donned silver bells and blue balls that ricocheted gleaming lights, carefully arranged up and down the depth of the branches. At the very top perched a golden star with tinsel streaming down from its tail like a frozen waterfall.
The two found themselves speechless. Both mom and son realized their mouths were opened in awe as they spied a large Virginia smoked ham under the tree, with all the trimmings for a traditional family feast. Next to it, a tin of old fashioned frosted sugar cookies was propped up against the large tree trunk. But, the biggest surprise of all was something they could not have imagined. Next to the tree, an animal crate sat with a metal plate over its door. Etched on the plate was the name, “Sparks”. Gazing through the mesh door was a curious look from a short-haired dog with big brown eyes.
Aiden dropped to his knees, “MOM!! It’s a…it’s a…uh..uh…a…”
Maggie forced herself to speak through her astonishment, “…A DOG!!!”
As the boy opened the crate, the Jack Russell Terrier-mix jumped into his arms, licking his face like flaps from a flag, as Aiden giggled uncontrollably. The boy looked up at his mom to see a face of laughter, a face shining with joyous, youthful wonder, exuberance, and hope.
“He did come, he did!!” yelled Aiden.
Maggie responded quietly, deeply moved, “Yes, well yes. I guess he did, indeed.”
She noticed a Christmas stocking hanging down from one of the branches. She carefully retrieved it while asking her son to reach in for whatever it contained. With eyebrows raised in anticipation, an enormous grin he pulled out several gift cards from food stores, clothing retailers, and a local toy outlet. Both began laughing in a sense of bliss that had not been heard in the apartment for quite a long time.
Suddenly, the boy noticed a mysterious color along the trunk, previously covered up by the stocking.
Fixated, he asked, “Huh…What’s that?”
Maggie took a closer look. In the glow of the festive lights, four weathered pink ribbons were nailed to the trunk, almost evenly spaced apart.
“Whaddya think that’s for, mom?” he asked.
Maggie slowly tilted her head as she stared at the hanging pink ribbons running up the tree’s trunk.
Speaking with a sense of bewilderment, “I’m not sure, honey, but I do know this, it makes this Christmas tree even more unique and magical than ever.”
*****
The Christmas dawn found Doug sitting in his lawn chair, with a mug of coffee warming his hands, looking at his treeless back yard. There, braced against a freshly cut stump, stood a well-worn axe.
He still didn’t know what his future held. The anxiety remained. But, what he didn’t expect was a volley of truths flashing in his heart from outside of himself. For the first time, he accepted the fact that his pain and depression had morphed him into a modern-day Scrooge, with a twisted complex concerning children. It was the giving of himself that revealed this tumor growing in his heart.
He sat there in the still crisp air, with a thankful heart for the old bell-ringer’s message each morning. Doug had found a God-given moment to do the most good where he was.
He smiled at the thought of his childhood nativity set. He remembered placing the ceramic baby Jesus in the manger next to the one curious lamb, taking in the divine event. For Doug, he rested in the fact of sacrifice being a choice, rendering joy to the most disturbed souls in his own backyard. The ancient truth, that giving one’s “self” away, is what the baby in the manger would later say is the best of blessings.
With a silent nod, he smiled thinking that millions of cups of spiked egg nog, millions of angry shoppers, and millions of wrecked lives could never diminish his newly discovered mission.
Sacrifice is giving up something you love
for something you love more.
– Cindy Beall
Of course, there were many deep-level, intellectual debates concerning how to change the world….NOT!
Being an old actor/singer, there is just something to be said about the unexplained bondings of former fellow cast members, and show-people in general.
Even fellow artists who recognize you before the shave and haircut.
I’ve said this before, there’s just something special about “old love”. Do you agree?
Fuel For The Race 