Grandpa Joe's Christmas Story

January 07, 2020

Grandpa Joe's Christmas Story

PROMPT:

Grandpa Joe sat all alone
in his living room. For the
first time in fifteen years he
hadn't bothered to put up a
Christmas tree...

STORY:

Grandpa Joe sat all alone in his living room. For the first time in fifteen years he hadn't bothered to put up a Christmas tree. For the first time in nearly as long, he hadn't bothered to put up Christmas lights. The old nativity set sat in its box in the attic. He hadn't climbed up to get any of the decorations down. It would just remind him of Helen.

Grandpa Joe had never imagined that losing his helpmate would be so hard. Helen had fought the cancer hard and long. She had been a champion. But she hadn't won. Now she was in heaven, gathered with the other saints at the throne of her savior. Grandpa Joe knew that it was better for her to be there. No more pain and suffering. But he had been married for nearly sixty-five years.

It was hard to be alone for Christmas.

Maybe the kids would come by. Maybe someone would have pity on their father and come spend Christmas with him...

Maybe not.

He knew that all the kids were busy. He and Helen had raised nine of them. They had each married and were raising families of their own. There were in-laws, and kids, and presents, and church events... the lists went on and on. He knew that no one would be stopping by his house for Christmas this year.

That made the loneliness even harder to bear.

Five years ago, when the youngest had finally graduated college, moved out, and married the love of his life, Helen had been there to make the holiday not-quite-so-lonely for Grandpa Joe. But now Helen, his joy and pride, was gone. There was no one to make Christmas happy for old Grandpa Joe.

He stared at the corner where the tree usually stood. He remembered the days of packages piled underneath. He remembered making popcorn strings with his daughters and taking time to lift his son to place the star on top. He remembered singing carols around the tree. He remembered Helen's clear, wonderful voice, leading the family in a goose-bump-inducing rendition of O Little Town of Bethlehem.

Now he stared at the corner. Empty. Except for a few small packages. Children and grandchildren hadn't completely forgotten him. There were a few parcels meant to bring him joy.

But what was a gift without family there to share the joy with him?

A tear tracked its way down Grandpa Joe's leathery cheek. He let it slide down into his beard. He offered a prayer to the Almighty for strength to make it through the holiday – his first holiday without his dear Helen.

"God," Grandpa Joe whispered. "I don't know if I can make it. I don't know how I'll be able to go on... without Helen. And the kids can't even come by this year. The Christmas season is supposed to bring joy. How can I find joy without my family here?"

He pleaded with God to give him some other way to find joy.

That Christmas Eve night, Grandpa Joe shuffled up the stairs and tucked himself into bed. Silent tears slid down his face as he thought about the Christmas day ahead of him. How could he make it without Helen at his side?

In the morning, Grandpa Joe awoke to a loud knocking at his door. He shuffled down the stairs and opened the door, wrapped in his bathrobe.

On the porch stood a young girl, with a scarf wrapped around her neck and her hands plunged into her pockets. She grinned toothlessly at Grandpa Joe.

"G'morning, mister," she said. "Merry Christmas to ya. I was wonderin' if you wanted to come to my house for Christmas today. My mama says you don't got family comin' into town today and I'm thinkin' you might get kinda lonely in that big ol' house of yours all by yerself. I wanna ask ya if you'd come to our house and celebrate with us today."

Grandpa Joe was startled. He hadn't expected an invitation from a neighbor family to come. He found himself nodding slowly. "Young lady," he replied, "thank you very much for your offer. I think I will join you. You live right next door, correct? I'll get myself dressed and come over."

The girl's grin widened. "Oh, wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Yes, sir, I live right next door. I'll tell mama yer a-comin'!"

Grandpa Joe closed the door after watching the little girl skip down the sidewalk, golden braids swinging in the cold December air. She seemed so full of life and joy... maybe going to celebrate Christmas with her family would be good medicine for his soul.

A gift. It hit Grandpa Joe like a truck. What could he bring his surprise hosts as a Christmas gift? He didn't have any cookies baked this year. That was something Helen always did. HE hadn't even sent Christmas gifts to his grandchildren. Rather, he had sent money to their parents, telling them to pick out something the kids would enjoy. What could he bring to the family next door, as a way to say thank you for inviting him to join their Christmas celebrations? He shuffled into his bedroom to get dressed for the outing.

He thought long and hard about a gift for the neighbor family. But he couldn't think of one. Finally, he sat down at the table and set down a lovely Christmas card he'd found in Helen's stationary box. Grandpa Joe picked up a pen and wrote a short note inside the card, thanking the family for their kind invitation and wishing them a merry Christmas. As he finished writing, he sighed. This would have to do. There wasn't even a candy cane in the house, so depressed had he been this holiday season without Helen.

Grandpa Joe tucked the card into his pocket and shrugged his coat on. Locking the door, behind him, he stepped out onto the porch into the bright Christmas morning. The air was crisp and cool as he shuffled towards the neighbors' house.

As he came up the walk, he saw the darling little girl standing on the porch, waiting for him.

"Hello, mister!" she called out. Then her face saddened. "I don't know yer name," she confessed.

Before he could answer her, the door opened and the girl's mother greeted him with a smile. She beckoned the pair inside.

"Come out of the cold!" she said. "I've just pulled the cinnamon rolls from the oven. Come! Let's celebrate Christmas."

The little girl took his hand. Grandpa Joe felt tears come into his eyes at the tenderness of the gesture. She looked up at him with clear blue eyes. "I'm Sadie," she said. She looked sad still. "I'm sorry we don't have a Christmas gift for ya. We forgot."

Grandpa Joe smiled softly at Sadie. He realized it was the first time he had smiled since Helen had passed. "Sadie, the best Christmas gift you could give me was to ask me to join your family for a Christmas celebration. It was very kind and thoughtful of you. I was going to spend my day by myself with no joy in my life. But God placed you here just in time to bring some much-needed Christmas cheer to my morning."

Sadie's toothless grin returned to her face. She impulsively let go of Grandpa Joe's hand and gave him a tight hug. Then she looked up at him. "I still don't know yer name."

Grandpa Joe laughed. "Sadie, dear, you can call me Grandpa Joe."

THE END