“Merry Christmas!”
Jake loved the holidays. He worked the soup kitchen every week, but nothing could beat Christmas. He greeted everyone who came in with a big smile, a floppy Santa hat, and a ladle full of whatever they were serving; today, it was chicken noodle. There was something about Christmas that made his work extra fulfilling. Whether it was the small gift exchange everyone participated in after lunch, or the peppermint candy canes he got to hand out, he wasn’t sure, but it was great nonetheless.
This year, to make it extra special, he also coordinated a clothing drive in his neighborhood. He had spent the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas walking his nearby streets, knocking on doors, and collecting coats, scarves, hats, and anything else to bring for everyone today. The box sat at the end of the line, and everyone was encouraged to take an article of clothing. As the day went on, the box dwindled and Jake’s heart filled up.
“Merry Christmas!” Jake said again, as Agatha strolled up to the line. She was a regular, and as much as Jake had tried to help her get on her feet in the past, she refused. He poured his ladle into her bowl and leaned closer. “I got you something extra today, too.” He reached into his sweater pocket and pulled out an extra candy cane. “Don’t tell anyone,” he said, smiling and extending his hand.
“You know I can’t take that,” she said.
“I know, but I was hoping you would.” He dropped the ladle back onto the side of the pot. “But if not, I may just sneak it into your pocket later, anyway.” He smiled from ear to ear.
Agatha just smiled and headed down the line for her roll. Jake knew she wouldn’t take it, but he couldn’t help himself. Any extra joy he could bring, especially this time of year, was worth it to him. He plunged the candy cane back into his pocket and greeted the next person in line.
“Merry Christmas!”
Lorraine slammed the pantry door. “Did you buy rolls?” She hollered in the general direction of her husband, currently plopped on the couch on his phone.
“What?” He yelled back.
“Rolls. Did you buy any?”
“I thought we had some.”
Lorraine let out an audible groan. “Great, now I have to run to the store just for rolls.” She wandered over to the refrigerator and heard her husband shuffle in the living room. She ducked her head in to make sure they had everything else. She had checked last night, but in the chaos of the kitchen this morning, had to be sure. Her husband walked up behind her.
“I’ll go to the store,” he said.
“Yeah,” she said.
“Text me if you need anything else.” He grabbed the keys and walked out to the garage, the door slamming behind him.
Lorraine rubbed her forehead. “If you would have gotten rolls the first time…” She muttered.
Everything was always on her, and as she opened the oven door to check on the ham, was reminded that she hadn’t wrapped the gift for her parents yet.
“Ugh!” She slammed the oven door. Her cousins, parents, and in-laws would be here for Christmas dinner in less than 2 hours, and of course, her husband hadn’t cleaned or done much of anything other than go to the store, and forgotten rolls.
She reached into the junk drawer and grabbed the first scrap of paper she saw. The only way she was going to make this work was to make a list and prioritize. She wrote down what she needed to do and took a deep breath.
“It’ll be alright,” she reminded herself. “Just get past today, then you can relax.”
The art on the wall seemed to mock her. Santa and an elf, with cheery faces, looked down. The words read “Merry Christmas!”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right.”
There you have it. Two common views of the holidays.