Happy Thanksgiving 2010! This day traditionally launches the Holiday Season in America, and my thoughts always seem to jump forward to Christmas.
In 2007, my wife sent out a story by Ryan B. Anderson entitled The Christmas Rifle. (Originally published in The Draft Horse Journal, Winter 2000-2001.) She was reminded of another Yuletide when her father demonstrated a similar kindness to the "Pa" in the "Rifle" story. So she added the following account to that year's holiday e-mail. Keep in mind this was 28 years prior to Mr. Anderson's story being published.
In 1972 we went to St. Louis to spend the holidays with my family. My parents operated a grooming and boarding kennel and Christmas was a very busy time of year. Their boarders included snakes, bunnies and this year even a monkey. The kids loved it. Two days before Christmas, my Dad told my mother he had to run an errand. She was annoyed that he was leaving her alone at such a busy time as she would have to check in boarders, answer the phone etc. on her own. The errand was to deliver a Christmas ham to a friend who lived in the country. The friend was a breeder of Samoyeds. The big white dogs that live in the snow covered northern reaches of the earth.
The next day he asked Dave to take a ride with him. Again my mother was furious. When my father delivered the ham the day before he noticed the family wasn't having much of a Christmas....they had a litter of Samoyed puppies for sale and had hoped to sell them before the holidays. When he arrived the next day he told his friend he had brought his son-in-law along to pick out a puppy for his grandchildren. (The puppy cost $450 and would make for a wonderful Christmas for his friend.)
When they arrived home with the new puppy, my mother wasn't happy and was quick to tell my father the last thing I needed was a new puppy to take care of... along with my three pre-school aged children.....until he told her why. He said he could have just given his friend the money but didn't want to embarrass him... the man needed to keep his dignity. And so that year we went home to Connecticut with a new puppy. The children named him Chris (short for Christmas). My Mom was right...the last thing I needed was a new puppy to take care of.....but I will never forget that Christmas....my father's kindness and Chris who brought years of happiness to our family.
No comments:
Post a Comment