Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

Christmas 2011

Even with the added stress and expense this time of year brings us, we always enjoy Christmas. Seeing friends and family, many only at Christmas time and the joy of giving gifts to them make all the extra effort well worth it. This year was especially nice for us because of our four-year-old granddaughter. Although this was technically Alison's fourth Christmas, it was the first where she was old enough to understand what was happening.

All our children have grown up and even our other grand children are teenagers and of course, too hip to show eagerness over Christmas. I realized it was to be a special Christmas as soon as I saw the excitement on Ali's face as she told me of sitting on Santa's lap and how he knew her name. She and her family came to our house Christmas morning for breakfast and our presents, dressed in new clothes and boots along with a new doll she received. Too excited to sit as her sister passed out the presents from under our tree she had to help to speed up the process. As we all began to open our gifts, I just sat and watched her tear open each gift to find out what was inside. Each present was a treasure to her and she would have to show mommy or her sister what she got.

This window of awe that makes Christmas a magical time is far too small for our children and they outgrow it so fast. It's not that the bigger kids don't appreciate their gifts but the mystery and excitement are not the same. I'm thankful that Alison made my Christmas so special this year and that she helped me remember of other Christmas Days when my children were little like her.

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