Mobile device? Check out my Mobile Site!
CLMozenaMobile.weebly.com
CLMozenaMobile.weebly.com
Christmas Rush
Gerald was not in a good mood. He only had five days left before Christmas, and a lot of shopping left to do. As a father of six and a grandfather of two, plus his three sisters and their families, Gerald had a very long list of Christmas gifts with only a few things already crossed out. He usually got an earlier start on his shopping, but the accident at work left him unable to drive or go anywhere for a few weeks. Which just happened to be during the prime shopping season.
As he stood in another long line with all the other last-minute shoppers, whom Gerald had always thought of a dead-beats, he noticed a poster on the wall advertizing the local Christmas parade. He had promised to take his younger children to the parade this year, just like always.
The parade started in less than an hour.
Impatient for the line to move, Gerald wondered if he shouldn’t just abandon his cart of silly toys so that he could make the parade on time. But then again, he had been in this store and in line for hours and didn’t want the whole day to be wasted. Everyone else would understand and forgive him for skipping the parade this year, right?
Gerald shifted from foot to foot and tapped his fingers nervously as he kept glancing at the clock. His wife and adult children might understand, but the younger ones wouldn’t. Gerald had made up his mind to abandon the cart load of toys just as another lane opened up. He quickly wheeled his cart over and was able to check out and get home in time.
His impatience didn’t go away at the parade that evening. The announcer said that there were almost fifty new entries that year, and Gerald knew that that meant standing there in the cold snow that much longer. The floats went by slowly, one by one, until they became little more than a blur. Each one seemed to be the same thing as all the others that went by - loud music, flashing lights, cold people waving at everyone, and someone dressed up in a goofy costume. He started hoping that one of the children would misbehave so that he’d have an excuse to yell and take everyone back to their warm home before the parade was over, but no such luck.
“Oh! Look at that one, Daddy!” Gerald’s youngest grabbed his arm and pointed. The float didn’t have flashy lights or loud, secular music. There was no snowman or santa claus running around with sacks of candy. Instead, a pickup was pulling a flatbed trailer that had bales of straw set down the middle for seats, and loose straw all over. Above the middle of the trailer, there was a large glowing star that shone down on a goat and a lamb resting in the straw. There was someone dressed as an angel with feathery wings, and three men in fancy robes and crowns. The rest of the people wore drab robes and cloaks, most of which were carrying shepherd’s crooks. The two in the middle were holding a baby, all wrapped up in rags. Tears started streaming down Gerald’s face as he watched the living nativity roll by. Gerald had lost the Christmas Spirit amidst all the shopping without even realizing it.
After the parade, Gerald settled down in his recliner surrounded by his children and grandchildren and read them the Christmas Story. He made sure never to forget again.
As he stood in another long line with all the other last-minute shoppers, whom Gerald had always thought of a dead-beats, he noticed a poster on the wall advertizing the local Christmas parade. He had promised to take his younger children to the parade this year, just like always.
The parade started in less than an hour.
Impatient for the line to move, Gerald wondered if he shouldn’t just abandon his cart of silly toys so that he could make the parade on time. But then again, he had been in this store and in line for hours and didn’t want the whole day to be wasted. Everyone else would understand and forgive him for skipping the parade this year, right?
Gerald shifted from foot to foot and tapped his fingers nervously as he kept glancing at the clock. His wife and adult children might understand, but the younger ones wouldn’t. Gerald had made up his mind to abandon the cart load of toys just as another lane opened up. He quickly wheeled his cart over and was able to check out and get home in time.
His impatience didn’t go away at the parade that evening. The announcer said that there were almost fifty new entries that year, and Gerald knew that that meant standing there in the cold snow that much longer. The floats went by slowly, one by one, until they became little more than a blur. Each one seemed to be the same thing as all the others that went by - loud music, flashing lights, cold people waving at everyone, and someone dressed up in a goofy costume. He started hoping that one of the children would misbehave so that he’d have an excuse to yell and take everyone back to their warm home before the parade was over, but no such luck.
“Oh! Look at that one, Daddy!” Gerald’s youngest grabbed his arm and pointed. The float didn’t have flashy lights or loud, secular music. There was no snowman or santa claus running around with sacks of candy. Instead, a pickup was pulling a flatbed trailer that had bales of straw set down the middle for seats, and loose straw all over. Above the middle of the trailer, there was a large glowing star that shone down on a goat and a lamb resting in the straw. There was someone dressed as an angel with feathery wings, and three men in fancy robes and crowns. The rest of the people wore drab robes and cloaks, most of which were carrying shepherd’s crooks. The two in the middle were holding a baby, all wrapped up in rags. Tears started streaming down Gerald’s face as he watched the living nativity roll by. Gerald had lost the Christmas Spirit amidst all the shopping without even realizing it.
After the parade, Gerald settled down in his recliner surrounded by his children and grandchildren and read them the Christmas Story. He made sure never to forget again.