December 14, 2012

The teacher was excited for her Grade 1 students.  She could tell they were anticipating the holidays and what presents they would get.  She would have to get them to focus or she was going to lose their attention soon.  “Children,” she clapped.  That was her special signal and the children all turned to look at her.  “I have a surprise today,” she told them while setting out the paper and crayons.  Everyone hurried over to the table.  There was a chorus of scraping sounds as chairs were pulled back and little bottoms sat in their seats.  “What is it Miss?” they said in unison. 

“I love my job,” she thought as she looked into the eager eyes of her students and started to explain what they were going to do.  “I want us to think for a moment of something very, very special that you would like to do for someone this Christmas and draw it on your paper.”  She then started doing what she loved best, and the children enjoyed most -- story telling.  “When I was a little girl,” she started.  The children always looked at her in amazement whenever she said that as how could their teacher ever have been a little child like them?  “When I was a little girl, she continued, there was an old man who lived next door to me.  He never seemed to have any visitors but every Christmas he would put a star on his door.  The teacher could see it as clearly as if it was yesterday. 

“Mommy, why is Mr. Gilligan putting a star on his door when he has no Christmas?” the little girl asked her mother again for the third time.  Her mother finished putting the cookies on the cooling tray before turning her attention back to her little girl.  She promised her daughter’s teacher that she would have four dozen cookies ready for the bake sale that afternoon and she had two more dozen to bake but she couldn’t resist this opportunity. 

“Honey, Christmas is a special time of year that anyone can join in.”  She looked at her little girl and then dusted off her apron as she pulled it over her head and hung it on its hook by the sink.  “Come with me sweetie,” she called as she turned from the room.  “I think this is a day we need to have a seeing lesson.”  Her daughter couldn’t hide her excitement as she clapped her little hands and followed her mother to the front porch.  “Where are we going Mommy,” she squealed as she quickly put on her boots.  Her mother helped her with her coat and buttoned it up to her neck and gave her a quick kiss on the nose and both cheeks before scooping her up in her arms and tickling her as they went out the door.  “We are going to find Christmas,” she announced.

The old man looked up when he heard the laughter coming from his neighbors’ house.  He watched as the woman and her daughter waved to him and climbed into their car and drove away.  He smiled and turned back to his task of putting the star on his door and when he had it just right, plugged the lights in.  “There,” he thought “a light to guide her home.”  When his wife was alive, they had always put the star on the door at Christmas but somehow after she died it had been forgotten.  He started again when his daughter left in the hopes she would see it and somehow find her way back home to him.  He sat down on his rocking chair and put his old pipe in his mouth.  He hadn’t smoked it in years but there was comfort just putting it in his mouth and drawing on it.

The woman and her daughter were still smiling and giggling when they returned to their house an hour later.  He could remember a time when he and his daughter would do the same thing.  “What had happened,” he thought but knew what it was even as he questioned it.  Anger had happened and that was the last he had heard from her.  Sometimes he drove close enough to the little gift shop where she worked to see her but far enough so she wouldn’t see him.  “What was wrong with him?” he thought.  He wished he could just say what needed to be said and make things right with her but he didn’t seem to know where to start.  His generation was not known for showing their feelings and he cursed himself that he couldn’t get beyond that.

The door opened and closed next door and he could see the woman and her daughter making their way to his house carrying a package.  He was always happy to see them and especially the little girl with her dark eyes just like his daughter.  He stood up as they approached and smiled.  “Hi there,” he called out.  The little girl stood behind her mother and watched him shyly.  “Hello,” her mother said as she climbed up the steps.  “We just wanted to bring you a little something for Christmas,” she said as she handed him the box.  He hesitated but took the package and started to open it while eyeing the little girl.  “I wonder what it is?” he teased as he peeled the paper off.  “It’s a gingerbread house with a star on the door just like yours,” the little girl couldn’t help but say.  “Honey, you’re not supposed to tell him what it is before he opens it,” her mother said and smiled as she turned her attention back to the old man, “We noticed you put a star on your door each year so we wanted to do the same on the gingerbread house.” 

The woman remembered back to when they had bought the star that morning.  “That’s a nice gingerbread house,” the saleperson said as she looked at their handiwork after they had secured the star on the door.  “Yes,” her mother replied.  “Our neighbor, poor soul, lives on his own and without fail each Christmas puts a star on his door so we wanted to bring this over to him to bring him a bit of joy and to let him know someone was thinking of him.”  “We’re bringing Christmas to him,” the little girl piped up, “but Mommy says Christmas is all about family, loving one another and giving to others.”  The woman paled and quickly turned away, hastily wishing them a Merry Christmas.

The old man watched as the woman and her daughter returned to their house.  They could not know the significance of the star on his door but what a blessing it was that they had put that special touch on his gift.  He turned to go into the house but heard a voice behind him that stopped him cold.  “Daddy,” he heard again and turned to see the most beautiful sight he could ever imagine -- his own daughter coming up his walkway with tears in her eyes and her arms open wide.

“Mommy,” the little girl called.  The lady we saw at the store is next door hugging Mr. Gilligan and they are crying.  Her mother quickly came to the window and peeked out.  “Ah my dear,” she said while hugging her daughter.  “Christmas has come to Mr. Gilligan's after all.” 

The children were smiling after the story ended and clapped their hands.  “OK children," she said.  "Let’s work quietly while we listen to the morning announcements,” she told them as they settled in to do their drawings.  The announcements were quickly interrupted with loud pop, pop, pop sounds as the teacher and children listened to what would change their lives and ours forever.  "Get out! Get out!  There's a man with a gun and he's shooting people!"

*****

In memory of all the children and teachers who lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.  It began as an ordinary school day, teachers welcoming their students, students settling into their seats and greeting one another, but within minutes ended in a senseless tragedy.  So many lives changed in an instant, so many lives lost.  My heart goes out to the Newtown community.