Twas my night before Christmas…

Twas my night before Christmas and at my parents house
Something seemed strange, so my brothers went to browse
Everything was decorated, down to the trim
Including the goodie bags filled to the brim.

They started in the kitchen, oh what a sight
Mom and grandma cooking with all of their might
The food in the oven and snacks all throughout
Gave a distraction as the boys explored about.

The brothers didn’t give up as they moved from room to room
Nothing seemed out of place, not even the broom.
But they were still haunted by something strange
Almost as if someone had replaced the gas range.

When they came to the living room, they gave up for a while
Especially when they saw the presents in a huge pile.
But looking around they jumped at the sight
It was something new, shiny and bright.

My parents had purchased something big and tall
It took up the entire living room wall.
The television bought for their Christmas cheers
Showed our favorite movies over the years.

Then we stacked food on our plates ever so high
All sorts of snacks, goodies and pie.
Music in the background while we ate our dinner
Nothing strange about this, as we no longer felt slimmer.

With the family gathered together, I read the Christmas story
Pondering our Savior’s birth and hearing about his glory.
Opening the gifts provided lots of blessings
But amazing enough, none of us received dressings.

Snow had been falling all during the night
Covering our cars and making the earth white.
This made our trek home slow as a snail
But memories of this night will always prevail.

Starting over…

Her hair blew out of her cap as she stood at the bus stop. The newly dyed blonde locks swirling in the cold air as she stood silently waiting for the bus to arrive, waiting for her ticket out of this mess. There wasn’t much left for her here. Even though it was the big city, she felt lost… alone… and most of all misguided.

Josie was escaping from the reality that had grabbed hold of her and Greyhound was her ticket out. This ticket cost half of her savings to trek across the land in search of something new. Searching for a new identity without changing who she really was or what she believed. Searching for a life where she would be sought out for her talents rather than used for them.

The roar of the bus grew louder as it came barreling down the street. As it stopped in front of the old army building, Josie took her last look at the place she grew up. The place that had given her hope but had also shattered her dreams. A place where she played hopscotch and jumped in the water from the fire hydrants on hot summer days. The alley where she had her first kiss and the stairs where she had broken her leg only a few months earlier. The apartment where her parents raised her, giving her a lifetime of memories, now sitting empty and abandoned.

Inching closer to the door, Josie lifted her backpack of belongings on her shoulder and secured her long hair under her cap once again. She wasn’t prepared for all of this, after all it was a spur of the moment decision. She knew hiding wouldn’t fix anything, but she also knew that staying could keep her a hostage in the life she knew. All she wanted was something new, but still something familiar.

Climbing the steps on the bus, Josie followed an elderly woman carrying a quilted bag. The bag was heavy and the woman struggled to maneuver it past the other passengers already seated. The woman took the first available seat, one of only a handful left. Josie scanned the bus looking where the other seats remained and chose to sit next to the woman she followed, hoping that she wouldn’t be asked a million questions about why she was here.

The woman said “hello” and Josie responded back with the same, and both turned back to facing the front of the bus. As the bus door closed, Josie felt relief coming upon her. A sense of peace, hope perhaps, that everything would get better. That she would find a way to live.