the bestest christmas ever
The warm November sun shone brightly in the park near Wills Creek, but Cindy didn't notice it. All she could think about was the fact that Christmas was a month away. Normally, she'd be excited about seeing her kids and grandkids again, whip up a feast, and spend hundreds of dollars on presents for them.
Not this year. It wasn't that she didn't want to spend the money, she just didn't have it. One year shy of retirement, she lost her job due to downsizing. All her extra funds went to paying bills while she looked for another job. But who wants to hire an old gramma, anyway? Despair filled her mind as she wandered around the park. What would her kids think if she didn't cook up a feast for them this year? How would her grandkids react if they didn't have dozens of presents to open? "Hey, Cindy! Watch where you're goin'!" A voice startled Cindy. She looked up to see Tami standing in front of her. "Oh, hi, Tami," she said. "What's eatin' you" Tami asked. "Th' sun's shinin', the birds 're singin'. It's a beautiful day and you're down in th' dumps. What gives?" |
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"I got laid off," Cindy told her. "And can't find another job. I don't know what I'm going to do for Christmas this year. I ain't got the money I used to."
"So?" Tami smiled, "I ain't never got no money, either. Listen," she took Cindy's shoulders. "Maybe you're tryin' too hard, ya know? Maybe it's not th' gifts that you're family wants. Maybe they'll be just as happy just to spend some time with you. Ever think of that?"
"Well..." Cindy thought about it. She always assumed the reason her family loved visiting during the holidays was for the food and presents. She always spent lots of money and put on a good show so that her family would come visit. She worried that if she didn't, they'd stop coming.
"Cindy, do what I do," Tami said. "Invite them over, but ask that they bring some food. All you do is make the turkey, okay?"
"But-,"
"Tut, tut! I wasn't finished. Don't buy any presents, either."
"But we've got to have presents!" Cindy protested.
"Make them!" Tami exclaimed. "That's what I do. I never gots th' money to buy all those fancy toys, anyhow. I sew dolls and quilts and all that. What are you good at?"
"Um," Cindy couldn't think of anything. "Well, I got a journal," she said meekly.
"A journal, huh?" Tami scrutinized Cindy. "You like to write?"
"Yea." Cindy smiled. "I write down everything that happens so that I'll always have my memories."
"Of what?"
"Oh, of everything." Cindy thought back to some of her journal entries. "I wrote about when each of my kids were born, when they got married and had kids of their own, taking them on trips to the pool, the movies, and to the corner store. Not only that-,"
"Okay! Okay," Tami interrupted. "Why don't you take those memories an' make stories outta them? Add some photos, wrap 'em up, an' have everyone read their story to everybody. Watcha think?"
"They're not going to want stories," Cindy argued. "The kids'll want toys."
"Sounds to me like they already gots plenty of toys." Tami looked Cindy in the eye. "Try it. You might be surprised."
The next day, Cindy sent out invitations to her kids with a note asking to bring some food. She took out her journal and searched for her favorite memories, working hard over the next month on stories for Christmas. She found ideas in a scrap booking magazine, and added colored paper, ribbons, and beads to the stories. Finally, she placed them on her dining room table on top of each setting.
Christmas morning, Cindy worried again that her family would be upset at not having a feast or lots of presents waiting for them. However, she composed herself when the doorbell rang. She was surprised that her kids brought several dishes to share. There was more food and variety than Cindy could have done herself.
Cindy explained that, instead of toys, she made everyone a story of a memory past, and showed them to the table. They spent the rest of the day sharing memories around the Christmas tree. Finally, it was time to go.
"Gramma?" One of Cindy's youngest grandkids turned as she was being led out by her mother, "This was the bestest Christmas ever."
"So?" Tami smiled, "I ain't never got no money, either. Listen," she took Cindy's shoulders. "Maybe you're tryin' too hard, ya know? Maybe it's not th' gifts that you're family wants. Maybe they'll be just as happy just to spend some time with you. Ever think of that?"
"Well..." Cindy thought about it. She always assumed the reason her family loved visiting during the holidays was for the food and presents. She always spent lots of money and put on a good show so that her family would come visit. She worried that if she didn't, they'd stop coming.
"Cindy, do what I do," Tami said. "Invite them over, but ask that they bring some food. All you do is make the turkey, okay?"
"But-,"
"Tut, tut! I wasn't finished. Don't buy any presents, either."
"But we've got to have presents!" Cindy protested.
"Make them!" Tami exclaimed. "That's what I do. I never gots th' money to buy all those fancy toys, anyhow. I sew dolls and quilts and all that. What are you good at?"
"Um," Cindy couldn't think of anything. "Well, I got a journal," she said meekly.
"A journal, huh?" Tami scrutinized Cindy. "You like to write?"
"Yea." Cindy smiled. "I write down everything that happens so that I'll always have my memories."
"Of what?"
"Oh, of everything." Cindy thought back to some of her journal entries. "I wrote about when each of my kids were born, when they got married and had kids of their own, taking them on trips to the pool, the movies, and to the corner store. Not only that-,"
"Okay! Okay," Tami interrupted. "Why don't you take those memories an' make stories outta them? Add some photos, wrap 'em up, an' have everyone read their story to everybody. Watcha think?"
"They're not going to want stories," Cindy argued. "The kids'll want toys."
"Sounds to me like they already gots plenty of toys." Tami looked Cindy in the eye. "Try it. You might be surprised."
The next day, Cindy sent out invitations to her kids with a note asking to bring some food. She took out her journal and searched for her favorite memories, working hard over the next month on stories for Christmas. She found ideas in a scrap booking magazine, and added colored paper, ribbons, and beads to the stories. Finally, she placed them on her dining room table on top of each setting.
Christmas morning, Cindy worried again that her family would be upset at not having a feast or lots of presents waiting for them. However, she composed herself when the doorbell rang. She was surprised that her kids brought several dishes to share. There was more food and variety than Cindy could have done herself.
Cindy explained that, instead of toys, she made everyone a story of a memory past, and showed them to the table. They spent the rest of the day sharing memories around the Christmas tree. Finally, it was time to go.
"Gramma?" One of Cindy's youngest grandkids turned as she was being led out by her mother, "This was the bestest Christmas ever."
Did you enjoy the first story? There are 21 more heartwarming stories in this collection.
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Download the full version HERE!
or
Order the paperback HERE!