A story is often told,
of a bitter cold Christmas Eve.
Only 6 months into the war
witnesses later shared the lore
of an event hard to believe.
Continue readingChristmas
Christmas Presence
Time to make that list this year
of all to buy presents for
and check it once or twice or more
Continue readingThe Christmas Dinner: Chapter I
CHAPTER I
Amy stood at the kitchen sink washing dishes. Although it was taking her longer than usual because her thoughts kept drifting as she looked out the window. A gentle snow had been falling most of the day but that wasn’t what she was thinking about. There was still so much to be done and she needed to take advantage of the quiet time while the baby was sleeping and the kids were downstairs watching Christmas movies but she couldn’t focus. Her parents and in-laws would be coming for Christmas dinner in a few hours, yet she couldn’t stay on track with finishing the preparations. Sure, the turkey was in the oven slowly cooking its way to perfection or at the very least, something edible, but all the side dishes needed to be fixed. Yet, here she stood, staring out the window, her hands slowly wiping the dirty dishes and numbly placing them one by one in the drain. No matter how many times she shook her head to regain focus, her thoughts always drifted off to one particular thing: her marriage.
Continue readingStory Behind the Post: A Christmas to Remember
Did my little Christmas story sound familiar? Perhaps a few elements that you have seen before? It is not an accident. December’s short story was inspired by 1987’s Overboard. Well, I should say partly inspired by the Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn movie. In an indirect way though.
Continue readingA Christmas to Remember 5
CHAPTER 5: The Choice
Mike sat in the chapel by himself for quite a while. It was like a floodgate had opened and he could remember everything. His name, he knew his name. Dr. M. Jameson Weatherly. When he met Cara in college, he went by his first name, Michael. She had always called him Mike. But after finishing medical school and embarking on his professional career, he went by Jameson. He thought it sounded more prominent and would earn him more respect than just being another Mike. Only Cara called him Mike these days.
The two had met during college and married soon after. Cara had earned her teaching degree so she helped support Mike through the rest of his schooling. When she became pregnant with Andrew he was excited but also a little annoyed. His plan was to wait until his career was established but a careless night accelerated their plans.
Continue readingA Christmas to Remember 4
CHAPTER 4: Remembering
The two of them sat at the kitchen table. Cara rubbed her hands together then on her pants to wipe the sweat off. She repeated the process several times.
“Relax,” Mike said and held her hands to make her stop. “You got this.”
She smiled and shrugged but did not share his confidence. This was her third try at taking the stupid test. If she failed this time it was back to square one. Meaning a different plan because she would not try again. The first two times she could accept the failure because she was able to blame her lack of study time. Between teaching and raising her own kids there was no left-over study time. This last attempt though, she had study time. Mike was a huge help. Which meant she needed to reciprocate the kindness. It was time he knew the truth. The kids were going to hate her for telling him but it was time.
Continue readingThe True Magic
That feeling you currently feel,
though the definition’s classic
don’t attribute it to magic.
Continue readingThe Lights on Dewar
The lights go up every year
along the main street roadside.
Decorated for some town pride
Continue readingA Christmas to Remember
CHAPTER I: The Hospital
Doctor Fields tapped his finger on the wall and waited for a response from the woman standing beside him.
She cautiously leaned a little closer to the window. As she did so, she cinched her scarf a little tighter. Her ball cap was pulled down low on her forehead and he was surprised she didn’t remove her sunglasses while inside. Something about the woman didn’t sit right but he couldn’t tell the story’s details.
Continue readingChristmas presence
This morning, Christian households are probably exchanging gifts. That is a typical Christmas morning. But in all the gifts, thoughtful or otherwise, do not forget the most important present: your presence.
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ck's days 