She brought the snow with her when she was born. They’d had a green Christmas and wondered if there would be any snow at all. She was born at 6:15 a.m. and the nurse suddenly exclaimed “It’s snowing!” And everyone looked out the window to see for themselves. So she was called the “Snow Baby” [...]

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Linus is three years old today. When you ask her, she holds up four fingers and says “Nina fuiee!” I knew there wouldn’t be any money for presents, so I set aside several of the Christmas presents we received, to give to her today. I’ve been telling her for the past few days it’s her [...]

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It’s pitch black in here. I’m paralyzed with fear. I hear him put the mattress down and realize I’ll be here awhile. I don’t dare touch the walls; they’re ice cold and crawling with spiders. I hate spiders…I’m freezing… Stop crying…it only makes you colder. Can’t stop. How can anyone be so cruel…How did [...]

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I’m exhausted from lack of sleep, from worrying. It’s like living with a snake, loose somewhere in the house, not knowing when it will strike. I’m barely able to get through the day and the nights are so long. I just want to sleep but I’m afraid to.

This day is over, the babies are [...]

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I receive a letter from my mother, that my brother Brandon is coming to visit, while he’s off school for the holidays. I’m overjoyed and Jonathan is not pleased at all. But it’s too late to do anything about it. Old Jenkins got to the letter first, opened it and read it. By the [...]

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When he comes home, he has a telescope. We don’t have money to go home, we don’t have money for Christmas, Linus has a birthday coming and we won’t have money for that either. We don’t have money because he quit his job but he can buy a telescope. I want to know where [...]

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It’s Christmas Eve and I’m about to wake the babies. And we’re alone. He went out to the next town with a friend I didn’t know he had. He phoned that old man Jenkins, who came down to tell me a snow storm has made it impossible for Jonathan to come home until tomorrow. God [...]

Continue reading about My Christmas Prayer

We don’t have a Christmas tree. He says it’s too much money for nothing. His Christmas cheer comes in a bottle mixed with cola. After a few drinks, he is suffused with goodwill to all men. Except his family…

But there is a children’s tree and as long as I am alive there always will [...]

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When I was a child Christmas was such a big production and some of us made ourselves sick with anticipation. My cousin Jo and I spent the best years of our lives together every Christmas. Her family would arrive on Christmas Eve and we would talk excitedly about everything. The biggest and best [...]

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Because I messed up and he’s had to quit his job, we can’t go home for Christmas and it’s breaking my heart. We always go home. Can’t afford it now. What will we do for Christmas?
When I ask him that he says to do like his mother does. Go to the Sally Ann, [...]

Continue reading about Begging for Christmas