The young boy stood outside the toy store’s display window. He pressed his forehead against the glass. His eyes shined as bright as the Christmas lights adorning the window. He pulled his ragged coat closer around him letting out his breath slowly causing the glass in front of him to be fogged. Blinking for a moment he traced a heart before wiping it away hastily. Shivering, he walked down the snow-laden sidewalk keeping his eyes to the ground. Pausing beside an old man sleeping on the street he took an old blanket out of his rucksack. Unfolding it he covered the old man before entering the soup kitchen down the street.

“I just finished my Christmas shopping yesterday. Work has been hectic and I’ve been planning a skiing holiday,” a man was saying to the volunteers as he handed out trays.

The woman ladling the soup started saying, “I’ve been meaning to get together with family but I haven’t found the time.”

A quiet voice said, “thank you.”

The woman paused to regard the young boy who quietly took his soup and sat down at a table alone. The boy brushed his overgrown bangs out of his eyes as he hungrily ate the soup. She watched as he took out a
worn down piece of crayon and started drawing. Overcome by curiosity the woman went to sit next to the boy who couldn’t of been older than ten.

“What are you drawing?” the woman asked.

The boy turned to regard her slowly and said, “a picture for my family.”

The woman smiled softly. “Tell me about your family.”

The boy looked up to the ceiling for a moment thinking then turned to her. “Mother holds me close and tells me she loves me, father helps me find food so my belly will not be empty, older sister tells me stories and teaches me, older brother protects me so I can survive, younger brother reminds me to laugh and tells me jokes, and younger sister sings me songs making me smile.”

“Where is your family now?” she asked.

He paused and said, “on Pine Street across from the old church.” Gathering some food in his pockets he said, “I’m going to them now. Have a nice holiday.” He quickly walked out of the soup kitchen.

The woman glanced at her watch noticing her volunteer shift was over. Walking out of the shelter she saw the young boy leave some food next to a sleeping man on the street before continuing. As she went to her car her thoughts dwelled on the young boy.

She drove down Pine Street parking near the old church and turned off her car. After a few moments she saw the young boy cross the street and go into the cemetery. With a perplexed look on her face she followed a distance behind the young boy. From a headstone a distance away she watched as the young boy
knelt before six tombstones.

“Happy Christmas mother. Happy Christmas father. Merry Christmas brothers and sisters,” the young boy said placing the picture he drew before the tombstones.

The woman’s eyes widened and she put her hand to her mouth in surprise. Leaning against the headstone she continued to listen to the young boy.

“I drew a picture of where I hope you are,” the boy said continuing. “I know you’re all together and I know you’re waiting for me. But I ask you to wait a while longer. The other day I found a dog that was a stray like me. I held him close telling him I loved him, I gave him food to fill his belly, I told him many stories, I protected him from the cold, I told him a joke, then sang him a song. But then I found his collar and returned him to his home. I did the right thing like all of you taught me. I won’t be able to visit you as often, for they offered me a home which is quite far away. They say they’ll take me to see Santa but I know he is not real. Each Christmas I wished for the entire family to be under the tree, but you never came. I told them I had to see you one last time and wish you a merry Christmas. But this is
no goodbye because I know you’re always with me.”

The boy then wiped away a tear and walked out of the cemetery. The woman waited until the boy left before walking to the tombstones the boy was near. Walking back to her car she dried her tears and drove in the direction of her hometown. She had finally found the time to see her family.

Author’ Note: *has box of tissues ready for any really sensitive readers* Happy holidays all year
round no matter what it is you celebrate. “Treasure your family and friends because you know not when you may lose them. Find the time to spend moments with the people you care for and in return you’ll receive memories which will last forever.”-Shadowgirl