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Christina changed her clothes and<br />
brushed her tangled hair.<br />
“Ouch!” she gasped, with a whimper.<br />
Christina waited a few seconds before<br />
attempting to get through that crazy<br />
mess. She decided to pull her hair into a<br />
braid. Weeks and weeks of hard work<br />
trying to learn how to braid hair had finally<br />
paid off! After completing her task,<br />
she ran downstairs to find her mom and<br />
dad waiting for her.<br />
They surprised her with a plate full of<br />
pancakes shaped as stars. Christina’s<br />
eyes shone with appreciation. She hurriedly<br />
gobbled up her food and anxiously<br />
waited an entire minute before<br />
asking her parents, “What about the<br />
cookies?”<br />
They laughed, and her dad assured<br />
little Christina that they would have cookies<br />
that year. Relieved, she asked where<br />
they would buy them.<br />
“This year,” her mother exclaimed,<br />
leaning forward as to build anticipation,<br />
“we’re baking cookies!”<br />
Christina squealed and giggled.<br />
They then spent the entire morning<br />
baking, mixing frosting and making<br />
messes all over the kitchen.<br />
Finally it was time for them to take<br />
the hour-long trip to her grandfather’s<br />
house. The entire duration of the car<br />
ride, Christina was restless. She kept<br />
glancing toward the plate of cookies<br />
that they had wrapped. Even seeing all<br />
the Christmas decorations outside could<br />
not calm her down. They parked in his<br />
driveway, not knowing what was going<br />
on inside.<br />
Before they went to Grandpa’s door,<br />
Christina’s dad stopped her.<br />
“Darling, your grandfather is a little<br />
sad right now,” he said. “Try and make<br />
this visit extra-special and cheer him up<br />
in any way you can.”<br />
Christina nodded, wondering if it had<br />
anything to do with her grandma going<br />
to a “better place.”<br />
Grandfather William sat alone in his<br />
living room, staring at the now-empty<br />
rocking chair that was no longer filled<br />
by his wife, Ann Marie. It would be the<br />
first Christmas since she had passed<br />
away, and his heart, once filled with<br />
happiness and joy, now felt heavy with<br />
grief. He had prayed and prayed for<br />
a Christmas miracle so his wife would<br />
be saved, but his wish never came true.<br />
www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com x December 21, 2017 - January 3, 2018 x 21<br />
William had decided that he would<br />
decline the invitation to his daughter’s<br />
Christmas party.<br />
Just then, there was a knock on the<br />
door. He sighed and stood up to open it.<br />
He was greeted by three friendly faces<br />
and a plate of cookies.<br />
“Surprise!” Christina yelled and smiled<br />
a large toothless grin.<br />
Grandfather William’s heart warmed,<br />
and he was gladdened.<br />
He invited them inside and poured a<br />
glass of milk for each of them, so they<br />
could all enjoy the delicious homemade<br />
cookies. They sat by the fireplace and<br />
told Christmas stories.<br />
Grandfather’s grin broadened, and<br />
he exclaimed, breathless, “This truly is a<br />
Christmas miracle!”<br />
Honorable Mention<br />
A Snowman’s Christmas<br />
by Valentina Thibault<br />
Windermere Ridge<br />
Not long ago, a snowman learned a<br />
lesson about Christmas. The snowman,<br />
named Jolly, was a favorite of all the children<br />
in town. He stood frigid near the<br />
center of the town square, just in front of<br />
the tall, wide, fresh, green, pointy pine<br />
Christmas tree. The tree was decorated<br />
with gold cylinder ornaments mixed with<br />
bright red and silver rounded spheres;<br />
red and golden ribbons tied around the<br />
pine stems; and red, blue, green and yellow<br />
lights attached to a camouflaged<br />
dark-green wire that led all the way to<br />
the top, where the shiniest part of the<br />
tree — the Christmas star — was covered<br />
with diamonds and golden wires.<br />
It was a week before Christmas, and<br />
everyone in the small town was preparing<br />
for the holiday, decorating their<br />
houses with lights around their bushes,<br />
trees and roofs. They were also setting<br />
out stockings, baking, singing carols and<br />
buying presents to put underneath their<br />
Christmas trees. Many played in the falling<br />
snow — laying on the thick, white<br />
ground, while expressively making their<br />
arms go up and down along with their<br />
feet, creating snow angels.<br />
Jolly smiled as all the children encircled<br />
him, wearing their three-layered<br />
jackets and wool hats matching their<br />
clothes. Their laughter brought Jolly no<br />
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22<br />
Sweet, Sassy & Southern<br />
is a cute, trendy boutique that has unique gifts and clothing.We also offer custom<br />
monogramming and embroidery.<br />
Est.2016<br />
www.facebook.com/Sweetsassyandsouthern46/<br />
Hours: Mon–Fri: 10am–6pm • Sat: 10am–4pm • Sun: closed<br />
4750 The Grove Dr., #164, Windermere, Florida 34786 • (407) 217-7288
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