The Thank You Note
It had been nearly two weeks since Christmas,
And all of the red and green trappings were stored away.
The tree was propped up against the back fence
Turning brown, and looking more judgmental each day.
The last of the sweets and cookies had been thrown out last week
When the fruitcake slices turned hard as melba toast.
And the leftover turkey was mercifully gone; that night we’d have plain old pot roast.
It was a quarter past one when I heard the mailman; he was running a little late.
I pulled on my parka and laced on my boots, and trudged out the front door past the gate.
The road down to the mailbox was all slush and ice from the cold and the morning snowfall.
The sky was gray and impending, consistent with my mood (post-holiday and all)
I opened the mailbox disinterestedly, expecting a flood of junkmail and bills,
But a pale yellow envelope was all that there was, addressed to “The Lady on the Hill”
“Dear lady on the hill, I don’t know your name, but I saw you a month or so ago
Pull a tag from the tree at the center of the mall, and I just wanted you to know…
My children are six and eight and eleven, their father is off at war.
I work as a checker at Kroger’s, we are not rich, yet neither are we poor.
It’s just that things are a little tight this year, and I know the chances are slim
That it was our name that you pulled off of that tree, but I believe,
And if I believe… it could have been.
So, thank you for the three wool sweaters, the blue jeans, t-shirts and scarves.
Thank you for the warm hats and mittens, and the chocolate kisses and marshmallow hearts”
I read the note a couple of times over on my way back to the house, and I thought
That my own heart would burst inside of my chest…
And I hope they found the candy canes at the bottom of the box.
* de - december 2004
Christmas 1996 – Tradition
Christmas_1997
Christmas_1998
Christmas 1999 - Dear Santa
Christmas 2000
Christmas Eve Visit - 2001
Christmas 2002 - Snowman
Christmas 2003 - Home for Christmas
Christmas 2004 - The Thank You Letter
Christmas 2005 - Scrooge
Christmas Box - 2006
Christmas Memories - 2007
Christmas - 2008
Christmas - 2009
Christmas Bazaar - 2010
Christmas Horse - 2011
Christmas 2012 - The Old Post Office
Christmas 2013
Christmas 2014
Family Christmas_2015
Christmas 2016
Christmas 2017
Christmas 2018
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Christmas_2020
Christmas_2021
