Part 2
The National Christmas Tree Washington D.C. 11pm December 23, 2044
"Wow! Look at that big Christmas Tree dad!" a young boy squealed to his father.
The boy pulled on his dads hand to hurry him along. He saw the other children playing around the tree and he wanted to hurry and join in the fun. Though 11pm is fairly late, it seemed during the holiday season families stayed out later together to take in all the enchantment the holiday had to offer. Spending time at The National Christmas Tree was no exception.
"Dad, can I go play with the other kids?" the boy asked.
The father smiled at the excitement in his young son.
"Sure you can. I will sit on a bench over there so I can watch you." The father ruffled the young boys hair, and watched him run off to play.
He looked around and found a bench to sit on. It was occupied by an old woman.
"Mind if I share the bench with you?" he asked her.
She looked up at the young man.
"No, I dont mind. Go right on ahead." the old woman said smiling.
He smiled back at her, and she instantly noticed his beautiful smile. This young man wore a similar, teasing smile, that someone long ago had once melted her heart with.
The young man sat down next to the old woman. She seemed lost in her own thoughts and was staring straight ahead at the tree. He saw that in her hands she was holding a Christmas gift. He thought it strange though, as he noticed the gift, because the wrapping seemed very old. It was wrapped in a red tissue paper, and both sides of the paper appeared to be worn. Right away he saw why it seemed worn, as he watched her thumb gently rubbing the side of the gift. She seemed unaware she was even doing so. The gift was tied in a golden ribbon with a tag attached that looked quite weathered with age. He wondered to himself why this old woman was sitting here alone, at night, holding an obviously aged gift in her hands.
"Somewhere there is a story here." he thought to himself.
The old woman felt his eyes on her. She turned her head and smiled at him, and then looked down at the gift in her hands.
She turned to stare at the tree again. As if she had read his thoughts, and with a far away look in her eyes, she said,"I have been coming to this tree every December 23rd, at 11pm, for the past 40 years."
He noticed as she said that, that she stopped rubbing the gift with her thumb, and and seemed to hold it tighter in her hands, as if she would never let it go.
He was now very much intrigued by this old woman and her gift. He wondered how he could gently, without prying, get her to tell him her story.
"That is an amazing tradition you have." he said smiling at her, and bodly added, "Does the gift you are holding have anything to do with your visits here?"
She again, clenched the gift in her hands tighter, and turned to look at him with sadness in her eyes.
She sighed heavily, and said,"Yes....yes, it does."
She looked up into the clear sky at the stars, and sencing he wanted to hear her story, one she had never told another living soul, she continued.
"Fourty years ago, on this very night, at 11pm, I was supposed to meet my best friend here, to exchange Christmas gifts. It was a beautiful night, like tonight, with the clear starry skies, and lots of people gathering around the tree."
She paused to sigh again, and moved her eyes to the brightly lit tree. He continued to look at the old woman, patiently waiting for the story to unfold. He realized now that the gift in her hands had been for her best friend.
"This gift I am holding, is the gift I was going to give him. I have brought it back here with me, still wrapped from that night, for fourty years." She looked down at it again, and he could see her eyes were moist with unshed tears.
"The sides of the paper are worn now, from all the years I have held on to it, and the tag is aged and brittle, but inside it is still the best present I could give him."
"May I ask what the gift is?" the young man asked.
She looked him in the eyes, smiled and simply said,"It is unconditional love."
He smiled back at her, but wondered to himself what could be wrapped in there and considered "unconditional love". He was now feeling that whomever her best friend was, whomever this gift was for, she obviously had loved him very much.
TBC
The National Christmas Tree Washington D.C. 11pm December 23, 2044
"Wow! Look at that big Christmas Tree dad!" a young boy squealed to his father.
The boy pulled on his dads hand to hurry him along. He saw the other children playing around the tree and he wanted to hurry and join in the fun. Though 11pm is fairly late, it seemed during the holiday season families stayed out later together to take in all the enchantment the holiday had to offer. Spending time at The National Christmas Tree was no exception.
"Dad, can I go play with the other kids?" the boy asked.
The father smiled at the excitement in his young son.
"Sure you can. I will sit on a bench over there so I can watch you." The father ruffled the young boys hair, and watched him run off to play.
He looked around and found a bench to sit on. It was occupied by an old woman.
"Mind if I share the bench with you?" he asked her.
She looked up at the young man.
"No, I dont mind. Go right on ahead." the old woman said smiling.
He smiled back at her, and she instantly noticed his beautiful smile. This young man wore a similar, teasing smile, that someone long ago had once melted her heart with.
The young man sat down next to the old woman. She seemed lost in her own thoughts and was staring straight ahead at the tree. He saw that in her hands she was holding a Christmas gift. He thought it strange though, as he noticed the gift, because the wrapping seemed very old. It was wrapped in a red tissue paper, and both sides of the paper appeared to be worn. Right away he saw why it seemed worn, as he watched her thumb gently rubbing the side of the gift. She seemed unaware she was even doing so. The gift was tied in a golden ribbon with a tag attached that looked quite weathered with age. He wondered to himself why this old woman was sitting here alone, at night, holding an obviously aged gift in her hands.
"Somewhere there is a story here." he thought to himself.
The old woman felt his eyes on her. She turned her head and smiled at him, and then looked down at the gift in her hands.
She turned to stare at the tree again. As if she had read his thoughts, and with a far away look in her eyes, she said,"I have been coming to this tree every December 23rd, at 11pm, for the past 40 years."
He noticed as she said that, that she stopped rubbing the gift with her thumb, and and seemed to hold it tighter in her hands, as if she would never let it go.
He was now very much intrigued by this old woman and her gift. He wondered how he could gently, without prying, get her to tell him her story.
"That is an amazing tradition you have." he said smiling at her, and bodly added, "Does the gift you are holding have anything to do with your visits here?"
She again, clenched the gift in her hands tighter, and turned to look at him with sadness in her eyes.
She sighed heavily, and said,"Yes....yes, it does."
She looked up into the clear sky at the stars, and sencing he wanted to hear her story, one she had never told another living soul, she continued.
"Fourty years ago, on this very night, at 11pm, I was supposed to meet my best friend here, to exchange Christmas gifts. It was a beautiful night, like tonight, with the clear starry skies, and lots of people gathering around the tree."
She paused to sigh again, and moved her eyes to the brightly lit tree. He continued to look at the old woman, patiently waiting for the story to unfold. He realized now that the gift in her hands had been for her best friend.
"This gift I am holding, is the gift I was going to give him. I have brought it back here with me, still wrapped from that night, for fourty years." She looked down at it again, and he could see her eyes were moist with unshed tears.
"The sides of the paper are worn now, from all the years I have held on to it, and the tag is aged and brittle, but inside it is still the best present I could give him."
"May I ask what the gift is?" the young man asked.
She looked him in the eyes, smiled and simply said,"It is unconditional love."
He smiled back at her, but wondered to himself what could be wrapped in there and considered "unconditional love". He was now feeling that whomever her best friend was, whomever this gift was for, she obviously had loved him very much.
TBC
