The Christmas Dog
My great-nieces and nephews climbed up onto my knee,
“Tell us a Christmas story, Auntie!”
“Tell us about twinkling lights, popcorn and cranberries,
About Aunt Mary’s lefse and Christmas Eve-fairies.”
I replied, “What if I tell you a story about a little Christmas dog instead?”
And each expectant pair of eyes lit up brightly, with an eager nod from each head…
It was a long time ago, your grandma’s Boston Terrier, Susie, was getting older,
And as much as I longed to play with her, she always gave me the ‘doggie cold shoulder.’
(The special bond between Susie and Grandma transcended words,
They were companions, amigas, the kind of best friends everyone deserves)
I was two and a half years old, that Christmas morning 1958,
And underneath the tree, a white and fuzzy stuffed pup lay in wait.
His fur was adorned with colorful ABC’s all around,
He wore a red vinyl collar, and his tail turned down.
My heart leapt when I found him amid all the other wrapped gifts!
He wasn’t real, he wasn’t Susie, but I was in heaven, in bliss!
I carried him with me all throughout Christmas day,
We whispered, we giggled, we laughed and we played.
In the gathering dusk of Christmas evening, I noticed a glint in Susie’s eye,
Then a soft growl from her erupted into something more like a battle cry…
And before I knew what was happening, she sprang from under the chair,
She tried to snatch my Christmas puppy from my arms in midair!
I screamed as we engaged in a ‘doggie tug-of-war,’
And I cried as I imagined ABC’s and ‘doggie-stuffing’ all over the floor!
But before any permanent damage could be inflicted,
Grandma grabbed hold of Susie, and gently persisted
Until Susie reluctantly released her canine teeth-hold,
And I pulled my fabric, fleeced friend back into my protective fold.
“Susie didn’t mean you or your pup any harm,” Grandma tenderly said,
“She protects those her heart loves unconditionally; it’s how dogs are bred.”
The moral of the story, dear children, is simple and true,
So may this be my Christmas wish to all of you…
May you, in your lifetime, have at least one such generous and faithful ally
To love, accept, and protect you as the years pass by.
* de - christmas 2009
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
Christmas_2019
Christmas_2020
Christmas_2021
