Two
      CHRISTMAS
      STORIES
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      JESSICA
      BEEBE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lights
      and
      locked
      up
      his
      bookstore
      for
      the
      evening.
      The
     
    

    
     
      snow
      was
      blowing
      madly
      and
      he
      held
      his
      coat
      tightly
      to
     
     
      block
      his
      face
      from
      the
      wind.
      As
      the
      people
      hurried
      by
      him
     
     
      with
      their
      last
      minute
      presents,
      he
      thought
      of
      a
      time
      when
      he
     
     
      too
      had
      a
      family
      to
      go
      home
      to.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      two
      years
      ago
      when
      the
      accident
      occurred.
     
     
      Spencer
      and
      his
      wife,
      Kim,
      were
      getting
      their
      three
      children
     
     
      ready
      for
      the
      annual
      family
      Christmas
      party.
      As
      they
      were
     
     
      heading
      out
      the
      door,
      Spencer
      remembered
      that
      he
      had
      forgot-
     
     
      ten
      too
      cook
      one
      of
      the
      desserts.
     
    

    
     
      “Take
      the
      van
      and
      go
      ahead
      with
      the
      kids,”
      said
     
     
      Spencer.
      “
      We
      promised
      that
      we’d
      be
      there
      early
      to
      help
      set
      up
     
     
      so
      you
      go
      now
      and
      I
      will
      take
      the
      car
      and
      meet
      you
      there
      in
      a
     
     
      bit.
      It
      won’t
      take
      me
      that
      long.”
     
    

    
     
      That
      was
      the
      last
      time
      that
      Spencer
      saw
      his
      family.
      As
     
     
      he
      turned
      off
      the
      stove
      and
      covered
      the
      dessert
      the
      phone
      rang.
     
     
      It
      was
      the
      hospital.
     
    

    
     
      “Mr.
      McGraw,
      there’s
      been
      a
      terrible
      accident.
      We
      tried
     
     
      to
      save
      them
      but
      it
      was
      too
      late.
      I’m
      so
      sorry.”
     
    

    
     
      “I’m
      so
      sorry.”
      The
      words
      echoed
      in
      Spencer’s
      head
      as
     
     
      he
      turned
      the
      corner
      on
      to
      his
      street.
      His
      house
      looked
      so
      dark
     
     
      and
      empty.
      Another
      Christmas
      alone.
      He
      climbed
      the
      stairs
      to
     
     
      his
      townhouse
      unaware
      of
      their
      iciness.
      Before
      he
      reached
      the
     
     
      top,
      he
      lost
      his
      footing
      and
      tumbled
      to
      the
      ground.
      He
      lay
      there
     
     
      motionless
      as
      the
      snow
      gathered
      around
      him.
     
    

    
     
      As
      his
      eyes
      began
      to
      focus
      he
      gazed
      around
      the
      unfa-
     
     
      miliar
      room.
      “
      Where
      am
      I
      ?”
      he
      asked.
     
    

    
     
      The
      doctor
      replied,”
      You
      had
      a
      terrible
      fall,
      Spencer.
     
     
      Luckily
      your
      neighbour
      found
      you
      and
      brought
      you
      here.
      I
     
     
      hope
      you’re
      feeling
      better
      because
      you
      have
      a
      visitor
      waiting
     
     
      outside
      to
      see
      you.
      She’s
      was
      very
      concerned
      when
      she
      heard
     
     
      what
      had
      happened.”
     
    

    
     
      “Who
      would
      visit
      me?”
      asked
      Spencer.
     
    

    
     
      The
      doctor
      looked
      at
      him
      puzzled
      and
      said,
      “Why,
      your
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wife
      of
      course.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      was
      Christmas
      Eve.
      Spencer
      McGraw
      turned
      off
      all
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      presents
      and
      hoping
      for
      ones
      just
      as
      expensive
      in
      return.
     
    

    
     
      As
      we
      walk
      by
      the
      donation
      boxes,
      we
      unselfishly
      toss
     
     
      in
      all
      our
      left
      over
      change
      and
      along
      with
      those
      coins
      go
      in
      a
     
     
      year’s
      worth
      of
      guilt.
      But
      does
      our
      generosity
      during
      this
      joy-
     
     
      ous
      season
      make
      up
      for
      the
      neglect
      towards
      the
      unfortunate
     
     
      throughout
      the
      rest
      of
      the
      year?
     
    

    
     
      To
      avoid
      any
      embarrassment,
      the
      following
      people
     
     
      have
      chosen
      to
      remain
      anonymous.
     
    

    
     
      Person
      1:
      “Yah,
      I
      am
      more
      likely
      to
      give
      to
      charities
      at
     
     
      Christmas
      time
      then
      at
      other
      times
      in
      the
      year.
      That’s
      because
     
     
      everyone’s
      in
      the
      ‘giving’
      spirit
      now.
      Where
      that
      spirit
      goes
      the
     
     
      rest
      of
      the
      year,
      who
      knows!”
     
    

    
     
      Person
      2:
      “
      No,
      I
      don’t
      do
      anything
      generous
      any
      time
     
     
      of
      the
      year!
      I
      do
      feel
      sympathy
      for
      the
      unfortunate
      at
     
     
      Christmas
      though
      because
      it’s
      cold
      and
      they
      don’t
      have
      a
      home
     
     
      and
      stuff.
      I
      just
      figure
      that
      my
      contribution
      wouldn’t
      make
      that
     
     
      much
      of
      a
      difference.”
     
    

    
     
      Person
      3:
      “
      I
      haven’t
      given
      out
      of
      the
      goodness
      of
      my
     
     
      heart
      in
      years.
      I
      do
      remember
      years
      ago,
      in
      Boy
      Scouts
      we
     
     
      would
      go
      around
      to
      the
      needy
      people
      and
      show
      them
      that
      we
     
     
      cared.
      It
      wasn’t
      just
      at
      Christmas
      time,
      though.
      It
      was
      all
      year
     
     
      ‘round.
      That’s
      how
      it
      should
      be.”
     
    

    
     
      Person
      4:
      “
      I'll
      give
      some
      coins
      to
      charity
      here
      and
     
     
      there
      but
      it’s
      usually
      only
      at
      this
      time
      of
      year.
      I
      think
      it’s
     
     
      because
      it
      all
      the
      charities
      and
      organizations
      mostly
      enforce
     
     
      their
      causes
      at
      Christmas
      time.
      There
      isn’t
      a
      channel
      that
      does-
     
     
      n’t
      play
      one
      of
      those
      commercials
      with
      the
      starving
      children
     
     
      and
      the
      Christmas
      music
      playing
      in
      the
      background.
      It’s
      sad
     
     
      but
      can
      we
      really
      make
      a
      difference?”
      :
     
    

    
     
      Person
      5:
      “I
      feel
      that
      it
      is
      especially
      important
      to
      give
     
     
      at
      Christmas
      time
      because
      that
      is
      when
      families
      come
      togeth-
     
     
      er
      to
      give
      gifts
      and
      be
      merry!
      The
      people
      who
      don’t
      have
      fam-
     
     
      ilies
      or
      money
      need
      to
      share
      the
      season’s
      joy
      as
      well.
      It
      does-
     
     
      n’t
      need
      to
      be
      through
      money.
      Even
      wishing
      them
      a
      Merry
     
     
      Christmas
      shows
      that
      you
      care.
      It
      make
      them
      feel
      good
      and
     
     
      makes
      us
      feel
      good
      too!”
     
    

    
     
      Some
      people
      give,
      some
      people
      don’t.
      That’s
      your
     
     
      decision.
      The
      bottom
      line
      is
      that
      when
      the
      carols
      stop
      playing
     
     
      and
      the
      tree
      comes
      down,
      the
      needy
      remain
      needy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      F
      or
      many
      people,
      Christmas
      is
      a
      time
      of
      cheerfully
      giving