Written by my Mother

For me and Josh, Rita and Shannon, Sarah and JPD..... thanks to all my co-conspirators Love you all!

AS I SIT HERE, MY ROCKER FACES THE WINDOW.
SNOW, THAT BEGAN LAST NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT, STILL CONTINUES FALLING AS THIS TWILIGHT RUNS
ON TOWARD YET ANOTHER SNOW COVERED TOMORROW. CHRISTMAS IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER; AS THEY SAY…AND IT IS WITH MIXED EMOTIONS I CONTEMPLATE IT'S ARRIVAL.
I HAVE SEEN SO MANY PEOPLE SO FILLED WITH GREED, THAT THEY ARGUE, FIGHT AND TRAMPLE OTHERS TO DEATH TO ATTAIN YET MORE AND MORE REDICULOUS, TOTALLY INSIGNIFIGANT THINGS FOR THEMSELVES OR THOSE ON THEIR "GIFT LIST".
THERE IS NO TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS LEFT IN THIS WORLD I FEAR. THESE SAME PEOPLE, SCREECH AND RAIL AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD SHOW THEIR FAITH IN THEIR CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS. I WONDER, ARE THEY OFFENDED BECAUSE IF THEY TOOK HEED AND REALLY TRULY EMBRACED THE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS, THEY MAY REALIZE WHAT SHALLOW GREEDY BEINGS THEY ARE. SOMETHING TO CONTEMPLATE SURELY…
THEN I SEE IT…AN ELDERLY MAN WHO LIVES ACROSS THE STREET, USING HIS SNOWBLOWER TO CLEAR ALL HIS NEIGHBORS DRIVEWAYS AND SIDEWALKS…FOR FREE…..A TRULY AMAZING PART OF THIS ACT IS, THE TITANIUM ROD IN HIS BACK SNAPPED AND HE NOW IS PERMANENTLY BENT AND CANNOT WALK UPRIGHT…YET, PAINFUL AS THAT MAY BE, HE PERFORMS THIS ACT OF KINDNESS…FOR ALMOST A FULL BLOCK. I NOTICE HIS SMILE AS HE WORKS…..AMAZING.
THE ELDERLY WOMAN WALKING THROUGH THE SNOW DELIVERING HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS GIFTS TO NEIGHBORHOOD NEWCOMERS.
AS I LET MY MIND WANDER OFF INTO THIS WINTER WONDERLAND, I HAPPEN TO SEE A TRUCK STOP AT ANOTHER HOUSE WHERE PEOPLE ARE DE-ICING THEIR CAR…I WATCH AS HE ROLLS DOWN THE WINDOW AND SAYS SOMETHING TO THEM…HE'S OFFERING TO HELP I THINK…THEN HE ALIGHTS FROM THE TRUCK AND THE YOUNG MAN SCRAPING ICE COMES FORWARD AND SHAKES HIS HAND.
IT IS AN OBVIOUS FIRST MEETING…THEN, TO MY UTTER AMAZEMENT, BAGS AND BAGS OF EITHER FOOD ITEMS OR GIFTS ARE REMOVED FROM THE TRUCK AND GIVEN TO THE YOUNG COUPLE.
I KNOW THEY HAVE CHILDREN, AND MY HEART IS MOVED.
WOW, I THINK…THERE ARE STILL GOOD PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD.
STILL…THERE WILL BE NO CHRISTMAS TREE HERE. THANKS TO FURNACE AND CHIMNEY REPAIRS…WE HAVE NO MONEY FOR THAT. I LOVE CHRISTMAS TREES…THEY FILL ME WITH DELIGHT. THEY ALSO ARE TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO PUT UP AND TAKE DOWN…AS I SAID, MIXED EMOTIONS.
I THINK OF MY DAUGHTER WHO LIVES OUT OF STATE, WHO ALONG WITH A HOST OF OTHER MEDICAL PROBLEMS, HAS NOW TO DEAL WITH A RARE DISORDER THAT CAUSES ANY FABRIC,ETC. THAT TOUCHES HER SKIN TO BURN HER, CAUSING SEVERE PAIN. ADD TO THAT, A HUSBAND WHO COLLAPSED AND HAD TO BE RUSHED TO THE E.R. LAST NIGHT…IT WON'T BE A WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR FOR THEM EITHER,I THINK.
A PARCEL DELIVERY SERVICE VAN STOPS ACROSS THE STREET AND THE DRIVER BRINGS THE PACKAGE TO MY DOOR. I AM CONFUSED. WE ORDERED NOTHING…COULDN'T AFFORD TO…BUT, YES…IT'S FOR US.
WHEN I OPEN THE BOX, MY EYES FILL WITH TEARS…IT'S A TINY CHRISTMAS TREE. MY SON TELLS ME, IT'S FROM MY DAUGHTER…THEIR SECRET, EVIDENTLY.
WITH A SMILE, I DIAL HER NUMBER…YOU ARE A STINKIN' GIRL, I SAY…WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING…MY HEART IS FILLED WITH LOVE FOR HER…FOR THOSE IN ON THIS "SECRET".
I TELL HER, I HOPE GOD BLESSES HER REAL GOOD…AND THEN …I HEAR IT…THE SOUND OF TINY LITTLE BELLS …HER DELIGHTED LAUGH AS SHE SAYS…THROUGH ALL THAT PAIN…OH, MOM…HE ALREADY HAS.
YEP…SHE'S GOT THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS DOWN.

That's Mom's side of it,
Angel
www.streetlighthalo.com