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Honorable Mention
Home for the Holidays
by Parker Hemphill
Windermere
Ah, Christmas! As I walk into The
Mall at Millenia, I can see humongous
Christmas trees and glimmering lights all
around me. I hear the song Oh, There’s
No Place Like Home for the Holidays
echoing throughout the mall. The song
brings back memories of when I was
with all of my family in North Carolina
before we moved here last June. Oh,
how wonderful it was! My mind drifts off
to memories of my favorite traditions as
my mom presses through the busy crowd.
I remember when we would wake up
very early on the day after Thanksgiving
and drive for three hours. We went to
the mountains to a small Christmas tree
farm called Mistletoe Meadows. My sisters
and I would play tag and hide-andseek
through the trees while our parents
searched for the perfect tree. Once they
found the tree, I would put a long pole
under it and lift up the branches while
Dad used a handsaw to cut it off. I loved
watching the workers rope the tree and
fling it on top of our car. One of our most
favorite things was seeing the animals
in the barn while sipping hot chocolate.
We would then load into the car and
drive to a restaurant located in the valley.
This restaurant was not fancy, but it had
a wonderful home-cooked lunch. Then,
we drove three more hours back to our
house.
Another favorite memory is our family
drawing names for our gift exchange every
year. Our family would pick a little
sheet of paper with the name of one
person on it out of a basket. Whoever
we picked was the person we gave our
present to. So, my family and I would go
shopping for the person we randomly
picked and pick out a present for them.
We also had themes sometimes, such as
T-shirts or any gift that just fit their taste.
I loved seeing what they would get, because
everyone always had that expression
of “Wow!”
Another favorite tradition was going to
church for two special events, Christmas
Eve Service and Christmas Sweet. The
Christmas Eve Service was fun, listening
to the choir sing some of my most
favorite Christmas songs and watching
a presentation of Jesus’ birth. A man
read from the Bible about Jesus’ birth,
and his deep, low voice was very compelling.
One of my favorite things about
Christmas Eve service was the orchestra.
I even promised myself I would play trumpet
in an orchestra some day! Another
event, the Christmas Sweet, was one of
my most favorite things about Christmas.
We would sit at a table, and singing
waiters and waitresses would serve us
desserts. The orchestra played music,
and the choir sang songs with flashing,
colored lights that would spring up here
and there. Oh, how lovely was Christmas
Sweet!
“Parker, hurry,” Mom said, jarring me
back out of my daydream.
I love Christmas memories from North
Carolina. I am blessed to have had such
a wonderful time living up there. But, I
know God has some great plans for us
here in Orlando, Florida. I am already
looking forward to a new Christmas family
tradition of jumping in the swimming
pool on Christmas morning.
Honorable Mention
Giving to Others With Love
by Natalie Becerra
Ocoee
Christmas is such a beautiful holiday,
not only to reflect on the past year, but
to give gifts to your loved ones. I do
not have one bad memory from past
Christmases, just because for one day,
it seems like everyone in the world is
cheerful. I love how our traditions have
carried on for hundreds of years and
will probably always be there. I look forward
to the amazing feeling after giving
to someone I appreciate and the amazing
feeling that someone cared to give
me something, too. For most people like
myself, Christmas will never get old.
I feel like every year when it’s the
holiday season, people light up. You
can see their real compassion for others
when they give to the poor and to their
friends. I appreciate that as a society, we
push humanity to do nice things for others
every Christmas. We make it clear
that the season isn’t about receiving but
giving. Even though most people love
getting gifts, the feeling after giving is
much greater.
There is an estimated 43.1 million
poor people in America alone. If every
fortunate family donated just one toy
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to each poor child, every family could
smile on Christmas Day. Even though the
parents of the poor children would not
receive anything, they would feel grateful
that their child’s Christmas is better.
Orphans also would get a taste of what
any regular kid receives.
Every year, my family picks a foster
child to give them what is on their
Christmas list for that year. I enjoy shopping
for someone who I know has never
felt the same joys that I have been
lucky enough to have my whole life. I
love to imagine their faces when they
open their gifts and see that someone
actually cared. This year, my family
chose a 14-year-old girl named Alicia.
On her list, she has roller skates, boots,
a gift card and an iPad. We are buying
her everything on her list and giving
her my iPad. Even though I enjoy my
iPad, I know I will get one next year for
school, plus she will definitely enjoy it
more than I.
I will never truly understand how hard
it is to be a poor child on Christmas, but
I will do as much as I can to make them
feel special. The unique thing about the
holiday season is that it brings families
together and gets people to appreciate
what they have. It also gives you
the opportunity to meet people who
you wouldn’t have met otherwise. Even
though some people get lost in all the
lights and decorations, the best part of
Christmas will always be giving to others
with love.
Honorable Mention
Winter
by Hannah Devenney
Bay Vista Estates
Winter.
It is the time of year when the snow
falls, coating the bare branches with a
crisp, white blanket.
It is the time of year when carols are
sung throughout every household and a
joyous ruckus is heard.
It is the time of year when mistletoe is
hung and scents of cinnamon and spice
drift through the air on wispy tendrils.
It is the time of year when children
make snowmen and snow angels and
throw snowballs.
It is the time of year when populations
anxiously await the holidays and vacations.
Waiting for bliss.
It is the time of year for sugar plums
and minty candy canes and steaming
hot cocoa.
It is the time of year when children
dream of Old Saint Nick, waiting for
his gifts.
The temperature has fallen, the
animals mosey into their homes, and
people shut their doors as darkness
falls.
The temperature has fallen, and the
trees are bare.
Everything is coated in white and
covered in ice.
The temperature has fallen ...
But not in Florida.
Honorable Mention
Making Friends
by Ivaramoix Del Rosario
MetroWest
New York is never short of blizzards,
especially in the heart of winter. With its
extreme weather patterns, it should come
as no surprise that a snow-in is common
— except to a Floridian and an Arizonian,
who are both new to the Big City. The
native Floridian, who goes by the name
of Spencer Clarke, learned this the hard
way, as did Zari Abaza, the Arizonian.
Socializing was never a top priority in
their school lives, so the only words spoken
to each other were simple acknowledgements
in their dorm, day in and day
out. That was until the previously mentioned
blizzard took the streets of New
York City. With one foot out the door,
Spencer finished packing, only to notice
Zari huffing in annoyance.
“What is it?” she asked, gripping her
luggage handle.
“No one’s allowed out, state orders,”
Zari said. “Flights are canceled, as well.
We’re trapped here. Where were you
headed?”
“Back home for the holidays. You?”
Spencer inquired, noticing the prepacked
backpack by the dorm entrance.
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