JellyMom(TM) - Go Ahead and Laugh!
'Twas The Night Before Christmas - Achoo!By Lisa Barker, www.JellyMom.com
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house everyone was sick, including the mouse. We subsisted on Nyquil, Tylenol and Vics but each family member was sick, sick, sick, sick!
The children were nestled all snug in their beds with the vaporizer steaming their sweet little heads. My husband and I had just crawled into bed and the morning to come we did seriously dread.
How could we celebrate, how could we smile, when we had hankies and tissue for each little child? We prayed and we prayed as we both fell asleep that when morning soon came we’d be able to creep down to the living room and sit by the tree and open up presents and muster some glee.
When what to my wondering mind should I think? (I mean besides all the dishes piled high in the sink.) The cookies and milk, we’d forgotten to leave! And I knew that dear Santa would want to receive.
So I got out of bed and stumbled down the hall. I tripped on a skate, a car and a ball. Cursing and hobbling all the way to the kitchen I made up the cookie plate and started to wishin’. “Why me, O, Lord?” I began to complain, then stopped when I heard that it started to rain.
“Oh great,” said I, as I looked out the door. Just what we need and it started to pour. So I sat in the dark in my blanket wrapped tight and I wondered how our family could befall such a plight.
And then my eyes settled on the nativity pieces including the donkey chipped by one of my nieces. Each little piece paid no heed to the night, to the cold, to the setting, to the lack of warm light. They all were focused to my quiet surprise on the Child beneath a great star on the rise.
And then in a twinkling I knew and believed that already my family had surely received the greatest gift, the most precious thing, the real reason for Christmas that true Love does bring.
We had all almost missed it, how could that be true? It was the rush of the season that buried us, too. The trappings of presents, baking and cards had almost wiped Christmas from our minds and our hearts.
So I shuffled upstairs and kissed each sleeping child. Then I crawled into bed with my spouse and I smiled. No matter how sick, no matter how poor, no matter the weather there was something in store. Something so wonderful something so right; a gift to us all from Him born on that night.
Then I heard in my heart as I drifted to sleep: "Merry Christmas to all and His Love may you keep!"
©Lisa Barker ~ Want more Jelly Mom™? Visit www.JellyMom.com. Jelly Mom™ is syndicated by Martin-Ola Press / Parent To Parent.
Jelly Mom Archives