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The Anemic Christmas TreeDaily at dawn daddy left the house searching for work. Every night he returned, acting as if all were still right with the world. But the worry clouding his eyes betrayed him. She and her brother Nick had earned some money shoveling snow; they would buy the tree. The Winter of My DiscontentIt was the winter of his discontent. He was but a lad, a young 12, and far too impressionable to suffer the cruel twist of fate that awaited him. A fate that scars him to this day. For that was the year he got the worst Christmas present ever. I Outed Santa ClausJews are a lonely lot on Christmas. While their Christian friends are snuggled in front of cozy fires, opening gifts and scarfing down plum pudding, the Jews sit huddled together on wooden benches, eating gefilte fish and reading aloud from the Torah. A Crowd in ChinaHe was teaching English in Beijing. One of the sections was an overview of American holidays. He mentioned a few familiar Christmas traditions - including gift-giving and Christmas caroling. One student raised her hand with the obvious question, “Can we do that?” The CarpenterMoney was scarce in Trenton, New Jersey, when she was born there in 1938. She was the youngest of four children. After purchasing the necessities of life there was very little left for children’s toys. But her dad was a carpenter and could craft almost anything. On Coming Home for ChristmasThere to greet him, tossed on a bloody green cot, was his best buddy. His injuries were massive. Tony lacked the strength to recognize, much less welcome, his friend. He was engaged in the more important formality of dressing his face with a smile he could wear for eternity. No Tree, No TreeShe was only 5 years old, the seventh child and only girl of Polish immigrants. They were poor, and there was no talk of Christmas, or presents, or Santa Claus. She learned about the glad tidings on the street – from friends and the glow of trees blinking in windows. Hope Enters the HeartHis dad had a habit of losing jobs. Or changing jobs. When they moved, they were not allowed to get phone calls from people we had known. If they got letters, they were never allowed to read them. He’d tear them up. He said it was best to burn your bridges. Important for a Son to KnowBefore they ate and opened gifts, his dad sneaked into the living room and handed the three of them their Christmas cards, and when they’d taken them, he slipped back into the kitchen like Saint Nick. He doesn’t think his brother Jon had enough forehead to roll his eyes into. The RideHe had just finished dinner when an old Chevy Nova came up silently behind his cab. It parked close, too close, and blocked any exit. This is a danger signal to all cabbies; you always need an exit. “Yo man, can you help me?” the man asked. “I’m lost.”  |
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