A Poignant Christmas

After having been asked to write about the holidays, I thought about how many
Christmas stories I had tucked away in a corner of my brain. Some were nice,
some were sad, and some were particularly special. I will share a special one with
you today.
My son lives in Maine and usually comes home for the holidays. His neighbor (and
cousin) is a single mother with a set of twins. I had no idea James was
bringing the trio with him for Christmas until two days before the event.
Needless to say, I was intrigued and excited at having a set of two year olds
around for the holidays. Our family is grown, as is our grandson.
The twin’s mother didn’t have much extra money, single mothers rarely do, and I
knew presents would be scarce. Scurrying around at the last minute for some
gifts the trio could open and enjoy, my daughter, Kristina, and I hit the local
Job Lot store in an effort to get the most bang for our bucks. The carriage
quickly filled with goodies, some essentials for Mom and toys for the twins.
What is Christmas without toys?
We hurried home, wrapped everything and tucked it under the tree. We had a great
time shopping and an even better time wrapping. It had been a long time since
there had been small children in our family and in the house for Christmas.
It snowed the evening they arrived. The drive from Maine to Rhode Island was slow
going. Around ten o’clock at night, the car pulled into the driveway and the
group hustled into the house. The tree was lit, the fireplace going, and the family
was ready. Kris, my husband and I stood at the door to welcome everyone as they
came in.
This is the best memory ever…. I had shut all the other lights off in the living
room, except for the tree lights. Their glow warmed the room. The twins stood in
the middle of the room, wide-eyed and mesmerized, staring at the tree,
spell-bound. Imagine two small 2 year olds still in their winter garb,
speechless, soundless, and actually still as a board. It is a precious memory I
will always cherish. Yes, Christmas really is for kids!! Enjoy yours. There is
much to be thankful for in this world, especially moments like those.