Christmas

My toes were snug under the blankets, tucked safely into my bed, but my eyes were wide opening staring at the clock. I listened to the soft noises of the house wondering if I heard hooves on the roof, feeling the excitement grow in my tummy. The clock only said five am, but I wiggled out from under my warm covers anyways. I gather my old baby blankie that was dirty white from the short number of years it tagged along with me and I found my black teddy bear who I had given the name Pinecone to. I turned off my little nightlight that glowed and turned on my bedroom light, peeking out of my room watching the shadow’s dance in the hallway. I snuggled Pinecone and my blankie close, I had never liked the dark but today was too exciting to be too scared. I scurried through the hall ways pass the living room trying not to look at the shadows; I dashed up the steps and tiptoed into my parents room. In one ungraceful leap blankie, Pinecone, and I were in the middle of my mommy’s and daddy’s bed.

“You got to get up! It’s Christmas!!” I announce.

Shaking my daddy feverishly hearing him grumble has his eyes squinting at the clock.

“Christy, its five am go back to bed, Grandma has to come over before you can open presents,” my dad griped.

Frustrated I took Pinecone and my blankie and I slide of the bed and layed on the carpet of the floor of my parent’s room trying to close my eyes the shadows with no nightlight abit fearsome, but the excitement was already stirred and rising almost more than my little body could bear. I closed my eyes peeking at the clock talking softly to Pinecone.

“I hope Rudolph liked his cookies me and mommy made and I can’t wait to take baby Jesus out of the napkin from under the manger... Clock you need to hurry up!” I informed the clock annoyed. “Daddy Daddy it’s seven thirty call Grandma pleaseeee!!”

“Be patient, Christy”

“But what about Christmas?!? What if Santa didn’t come? How does Santa get inside if we don’t have a chimney? What about baby Jesus he has to get out of the napkin and hurry up and be born!!”

“Don’t worry so Christy, Santa comes through the big guestroom window and Jesus is safe in his napkin until the time is right.”

I watched Dad call Grandma, I jumped up and down trying to tell my Grandma Merry Christmas and how Jesus needed to be born. After Dad hung up the phone I watched him go down stairs to make coffee. I bounced into the warm spot on the bed, squirming with excitement. Before too long I heard the gurgle of the coffeepot and the smell of the icky coffee was coming up the steps. I waited and waited as long as I could before I started to jump on the bed. My mother called down to dad then took my hand and lead me down the steps, I halted on the steps when I could peek over the rail and see the living room. My eyes opened wide as they adjusted to the lights. I stood in awe hugging Pinecone, watching the shadows become dancing rays of lights the illuminated from the Christmas tree and sparkled on the ceiling. I saw the reflective light from the shiny wrapped presents. The room was transformed from the dark shadows of fear and doubt into light that had sparks of magic from the love that rekindled life itself.

One must wait in the excitement of a child into one is ready to take in what the spirit has to offer.

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