The Joy of Christmas Read online

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  Table of Contents

  Foreword, Mrs. Nicholas Claus

  ~The True Spirit of Christmas~

  1. The Angels’ Angel, Tracy Crump

  2. Someone Cared, Sally A. Breslin

  3. Operation Christmas Thank You, Danielle Kuhn

  4. The Best Luxury of All, Kate Erickson

  5. Gratitude Gave Grief a Holiday, Vicki L. Julian

  6. The First Gifts of Christmas, Shannon Erickson

  7. Table for Eight, Joanna Dylan

  8. Mom’s Secret Mission, John Dorroh

  9. The Year Elmo Saved Our Christmas, Maggie Whelan

  10. Make a Difference, Donna Faulkner Schulte

  ~The Perfect Gift~

  11. The Scheme, Kristine Eckart

  12. Christmas Time, Myrna CG Mibus

  13. The Christmas Surprise, Rus Franklin

  14. Built with Love, Jennifer R. Land

  15. Artie, Rebecca L. Jones

  16. Hidden Blessings, Norma Heffron

  17. Darren’s Christmas Video, Connie Kaseweter Pullen

  18. Labor of Love, Margaret M. Marty

  19. My Crazy Dad, Donna Van Cleve Schleif

  20. Gifts of Hope, Katie Bangert

  21. The Cookie Plate Christmas, Katie Martin

  22. A Giant Box of Love, Sauni Rinehart

  ~Holiday Miracles~

  23. Relative Strangers, Mary Ellen Angelscribe

  24. Pages of the Past, Rosemary McLaughlin

  25. A Random Gift of Sweetness, David Michael Smith

  26. The Apron Angel, Victoria Jones

  27. On the Wings of Faith, Jim Luke

  28. Mom’s Wish, Mary Z. Whitney

  29. The Warning, Louise Lenahan Wallace

  30. Our Guardian Angels, Nancy Thorne

  31. The Reminder, Greg Engle

  32. A Divine Mistake, Brenda Cathcart-Kloke

  33. Our Christmas Angel, Dusty Grein

  ~Family Fun~

  34. Turnabout Is Fair Play, Diana L. Walters

  35. The Christmas Breeze Box, Michele Boom

  36. Best House Ever, Laura Snell

  37. Home, Layla Tavassoli

  38. Pajama Joyride, Emily Morgan

  39. All Grown Up, Kathie Slief

  40. Eli Has Left the Building, Mary Anglin-Coulter

  41. Home Sweet Home, Stacie Chambers

  42. St. Lucia Surprise, Sara Matson

  43. Nice and Ugly, Mary Anglin-Coulter

  44. Flex Time, Mary Ellen Angelscribe

  ~Holiday Memories~

  45. The Envelope, Chelsea Hall

  46. A Stocking for Tammie, Connie Kaseweter Pullen

  47. A Heavenly Timetable, Andrea Arthur Owan

  48. Beyond the Arctic Circle, Irena Nieslony

  49. The Big Box, Karen J. Olson

  50. The Best Gift of All, John P. Buentello

  51. Having Mercy, Teresa Ambord

  52. Across the Years, Mary Stewart-Firth

  53. An Unexpected Gift, Josephine Montgomery

  54. Memory Lane, Michele Ivy Davis

  55. Endings and Beginnings, David Hull

  ~Through the Eyes of a Child~

  56. A Christmas Recruit, Patrick Matthews

  57. Reality Check, JoAnne Check

  58. O Wholly Overwhelming Night, Katie O’Connell

  59. A New Home for SarahRose, Donna Lorrig

  60. Manners Mishap, Stephanie Davenport

  61. A Gift from the Heart, Deborah Lean

  62. Perfectly Presented, Jill Burns

  63. Sibling Secret Santa, Jamie Kopf

  64. The Best Present, Tracy Crump

  65. The Epiphany, Whitney Woody

  66. The Hanukkah Gift, Jennifer Berger

  ~Holiday Decorating~

  67. Confessions of a Holiday Hoarder, Nicole L.V. Mullis

  68. A Magical Time, Traci Clayton

  69. Our Alluring Tree, Cinda Findlan

  70. Tin Can Christmas, Kim Childs

  71. Perfectly Imperfect, Susan Kimmel Wright

  72. Christmas Glow, Cindy Hval

  73. Saving Father Christmas, Sharon Landeen

  74. Camel Herder, Irene Maran

  75. Barely Decorated, Gregory A. Kompes

  76. The Barbie Christmas, Gloria Hudson Fortner

  77. The Sad Little Tree, Dorann Weber

  78. Lights, Camera, Action, AimeeAnn Blythe

  ~Taking Care of Each Other~

  79. The Last Christmas, Rita Kaye Vetsch

  80. The Mean Old Man Next Door, Joe Atwater

  81. The Most Wonderful Shopping Trip, Sandra Holmes McGarrity

  82. In Security, Nan Rockey

  83. How the Grinch Tried to Steal Our Christmas, Perry P. Perkins

  84. The Children’s Christmas, Marya Morin

  85. The Spirit of Santa, Susan Traugh

  86. An Open Heart Every Day, Sylvia Bright-Green

  87. Kindness of a Stranger, Edie Schmidt

  88. Operation GOLD, Kristen N. Velasquez

  89. Kindness Re-gifted, Tim Ramsey

  ~Holiday Traditions~

  90. Washing Our Hands in Money, Eva Carter

  91. The Dad Club, Dave Markwell

  92. The Gift of Time, Ava Pennington

  93. Messages in a Bottle, Jay Seate

  94. A Face Good Enough to Eat, Tracy Moeller Cary

  95. Just the Ticket! Carol McAdoo Rehme

  96. Luminaria, Jean Haynie Stewart

  97. The Sounds of Christmas, Melissa Wootan

  98. Wishing for a Silent Night, Cindy Hval

  99. A Divine Creature, Glynis M. Belec

  100. California Christmas, Susan Lendroth

  101. Santa Suit, Eric Nanson

  Meet Our Contributors

  Meet Amy Newmark

  Thank You

  About Chicken Soup for the Soul

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  Foreword

  I just had the loveliest week reading all these wonderful stories about the joy of Christmas. There’s nothing like putting your feet up in July and pretending that December 24th is not just around the corner.

  Because it is! Nick and I work hard all year, but things get crazy come Labor Day. That’s when the elves are returning from their vacations, the reindeer are getting back to their flying practice, and the toy factory adds a second shift.

  I don’t know why, but there seem to be more good boys and girls every year, and while I know that’s great for all of you parents and grandparents and aunts and uncles below the Arctic Circle, that’s even more work for us.

  But I’m not complaining. Nick and I love doing this and we wouldn’t trade it for anything, not even that Florida vacation that someone keeps calling to tell us that we’ve won.

  The stories in this book were such a treat for me, because I got to see what happens the rest of the Christmas season too, not just what Nick tells me about when he gets home Christmas morning. I loved reading about how you all get into the Christmas spirit, the acts of kindness you perform for strangers, the funny things your kids say, how you decorate your houses, and your family traditions.

  Nick and I have our own traditions, too. On Christmas Eve, I make him a big pot of pasta with a tomato and veggie sauce (always watching his cholesterol for him), iron his lucky red boxers, and make sure that his cell phone is charged and is set for Roaming.

  I make a special salad for the reindeer too — carrots and spinach and kale. Yes, kale has made it up to the North Pole. The reindeer, especially the younger ones, like it a lot better than Nick, but I sneak it into his veggie pasta sauce too.

  Once Nick takes off — and he’ll be gone almost twenty-fou
r hours because of all the time zones around the world — I get busy preparing for Christmas morning. When Nick and the reindeer get back they expect a big breakfast and they want me to make a fuss over them. But then, Nick goes off to lie down, while I still have plenty of work to do.

  He’s off napping and getting all the glory, but I’ve still got elves to feed, reindeer stables to maintain, and then there are those Elf on the Shelf temps. They all come drifting back from their assignments, and they expect a big welcome and a place to stay and food and clean laundry, when all they really did was sit around and watch children behave all December.

  I’m just saying.

  So thank you, Chicken Soup for the Soul, for this relaxing interlude reading these stories. I really appreciated the break. And I hope that your readers will put their feet up, too, during their own busy holiday season, and spend a few minutes every day reading these entertaining and inspirational stories.

  And look, I know that Nick has written his own forewords for Chicken Soup for the Soul and he has talked about the cookies. I don’t give him cookies at home because I know how many he will eat on Christmas Eve. Can you leave him the cookies but try to make them a little less bad for him? Less sugar and less butter? You’re not the one who has to live with a grouchy guy on a diet all January!

  In closing, I want to wish you a very happy holiday season, whether you’re celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah or just plain enjoying time with your families.

  ~Mrs. Nicholas Claus

  August 3, 2016

  The Angels’ Angel

  Be an angel to someone else whenever you can, as a way of thanking God for the help your angel has given you.

  ~Eileen Elias Freeman, The Angels’ Little Instruction Book

  Walmart’s automatic doors whooshed open, and my two sons and I hurried in from the cold as a light snow began to fall. I was glad our youth leader, Regina, had obtained permission to set up inside for the angel tree service project. Brian and Jeremy looked forward to helping solicit presents for underprivileged kids, but I doubted their zeal would have lasted long in the biting wind.

  I hurried the boys along, wondering how eight-year-old Jeremy would hold up. In addition to a foot problem that caused pain if he stood or walked very much, he had attention deficit disorder. Keeping his mind on one thing for very long was difficult.

  Even though it was only 9:00 a.m., Christmas shoppers packed the aisles. Carols played overhead as we scanned the brightly lit store for our fellow volunteers. We finally spotted a group of children of various ages near the jewelry counter. They stood next to an artificial tree covered with pink and blue paper angels.

  “What a great spot,” I said as we joined them. “So close to the front and right by the cash registers.”

  Regina gave me a rueful smile. “Yes, except that by the time customers come this way, they’re finished shopping and are ready to check out. No one wants to go back and buy another gift, even though it’s for a good cause.”

  I studied the angels more closely. Each one was imprinted with the first name and age of a child whose gift purchased that day might well be the only one he or she received. More than a hundred of these angels decorated the tree. The boys and I planned to buy gifts for two children, but we couldn’t provide for them all.

  After a few unsuccessful attempts at getting donations, Regina divided the kids into two groups. “Let’s cover both entrances and catch customers as they come in. Try to steer them over here before they start their shopping. I’ll stay by the tree.”

  Jeremy jammed a red Santa hat on his head. “Come on, Mom. Let’s go!”

  Catching his enthusiasm, Brian and I followed with another mom and her son. Our excitement soon waned as shoppers passed by with a brusque “No, thank you,” sometimes not even looking at us.

  Jeremy took a different tactic. When shoppers came in, he fell in step beside their carts and began explaining about the angel tree. “Their moms and dads don’t have enough money for presents. If we don’t help, they won’t get anything for Christmas. All you have to do is go pick an angel off the tree and buy a toy. Just ten or fifteen dollars. If that’s too much, you can give us some money, and we’ll collect more until we have enough to buy a present.”

  My young son hardly drew breath between sentences. His words were sincere and heartfelt. His round, cherubic cheeks and beatific smile sealed the deal. Time after time, customers thrust money at him. Some were probably afraid if they didn’t, they’d be stuck with this child for the rest of their shopping trip. But many smiled and altered their course to come by the tree and choose an angel themselves. One shopper pointed out Jeremy and told Regina, “How could anyone resist that angelic face?”

  When Jeremy’s pockets became stuffed with money, he would triumphantly run back to me and ask if we could go and shop. We’d grab a couple of paper angels and hunt for just the right gifts. After we checked out, we took the gifts to other volunteers in customer service who wrapped them with bright Christmas paper. Then we headed back to the entrance, Jeremy’s cheeks flushed with excitement at doing it all over again.

  Even though he was getting tired, Jeremy stuck to his mission without complaint. For three long hours, he beseeched people, collected money, and bought presents, repeating the cycle until all the angels were adopted. Many of the real-life children represented by pink and blue bits of paper on an artificial tree received gifts that Christmas through his efforts.

  Jeremy beamed with pride when Regina praised him for working so hard for needy children in our county. But on the way home, all he could talk about was how glad he felt that no one was left out. All the kids would get presents.

  My son was the angels’ angel that day. He ignored his own pain and disability to help those less fortunate, but he didn’t look at it that way. From his point of view, he received the greatest gift — a full heart from bringing joy to others.

  ~Tracy Crump

  Someone Cared

  Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.

  ~Charles Schulz

  I was a “miracle baby,” an only child, so my parents tended to spoil me, especially at Christmastime. They wanted to make certain my Christmases were special and memorable. And each one truly was. I still have vivid memories of my parents’ proud smiles on Christmas morning as I opened one gift after another and squealed with delight.

  As the years passed and I grew older, Christmas remained a much-anticipated event. My mother loved to shop, cook and decorate. She also was determined to make opening gifts on Christmas morning a bit of a marathon. She, my dad and I would take turns unwrapping one gift at a time, which usually took hours because my mother wrapped every little item separately. A desk set that came with a pen, box of paper clips, a stapler, etc., would become eight gifts rather than just one. That way, we could prolong and savor the unwrapping for as long as possible.

  They say that opposites attract, and when I met my future husband, Joe, it proved to be true. I was sociable and outgoing. He was quiet and shy. I had a close, loving family. His relationship with his family was strained.

  Joe and I began dating one January and after a whirlwind courtship, were married that October. As our first Christmas together approached, I looked forward to it with the same childlike anticipation I’d always felt. But when I rambled on excitedly about the gifts I was going to buy, the decorations I was going to hang and the foods I was going to cook, I noticed my husband wasn’t sharing my enthusiasm. I finally asked him why he seemed so apathetic about the happiest time of the year.

  “Because it never was happy for me,” he said. As he spoke, I was surprised to see tears filling his eyes. “My dad had a problem with… well, keeping money. He and my mother argued about it all the time. We moved a lot, from one apartment building to another, always one step ahead of the bill collectors. Once, when I was about eight, I saved up some money by cashing in the five-cent deposit on pop bottles I found in the alley near our apartment building. Then I walked
over to Woolworth and bought a small set of plastic toy soldiers. I wrapped them in notebook paper as a Christmas gift to myself. I cherished those soldiers and kept them until I grew up and actually became a soldier.”

  When I later related Joe’s story to my mother, she couldn’t hold back her tears.

  “That’s just terrible!” she said, sniffling and reaching for a tissue. “We’re just going to have to make it our mission to give him the best Christmas ever — one that will make up for all of those he missed as a child!”

  And we did exactly that. We splurged and bought him every gift he possibly could want. My mother planned a Christmas menu that contained all of his favorite foods. We even visited a Christmas tree farm, where we chopped down our own tree. We were determined to give Joe a Christmas spirit overload.

  On Christmas Eve, Joe and I stayed at my parents’ house so we could get up bright and early for the annual gift-opening marathon. Never had I seen so many gifts piled under the tree… and the majority of them were for Joe. I could barely wait to see how thrilled he was going to be with everything we’d selected for him.

  As we sat and opened our gifts, my parents and I couldn’t help but notice that Joe didn’t seem as pleased or excited as we’d anticipated. In fact, when he opened an expensive toolset that he’d really been wanting, he actually looked uncomfortable.

  Hours later, after all the gifts had been opened, and stacks of boxes and packages lay at our feet, my mother dared to ask Joe, “Didn’t you like the things we bought for you?”

  “Oh, they’re all great,” he said, “but a little overwhelming.”

  “We wanted to make your Christmas special,” my mother explained. “We wanted to make up for all of the Christmases you missed as a child, and for all of the gifts you never received.”

  My husband looked directly into my mother’s eyes and said, “But I didn’t need all of these gifts to make my Christmas special. All I ever needed was to know that someone actually cared enough about me to remember me. That’s the best gift of all.”

  So on that Christmas morning, back in 1971, we realized that Christmas gift-opening marathons weren’t what made Christmas special or memorable — being with people who truly loved you was.