The Best Christmas Present Ever
The story of a young girl during the Christmas of 1941.
Anna Spears
Judy ran down the steps of school happy to be free for the four weeks that they would have off of school during Christmas vacation. But there was still heaviness in her heart. Daddy had been gone for eight months now in the war and he was going to Miss Christmas with the family. What was Christmas going to be like without him? Life had changed in so many ways already. The most important person in her life, Momma, was different. It used to be that Judy would always find her there when Judy got home from school but now it was just the housekeeper Mrs. Sloan waiting in the kitchen to greet her. Momma was too busy helping at the factory where daddy used to work. It was a clothing factory but now, because of the war, they made tents for the soldiers instead of clothes. She worked long hours and was often too tired to even talk when she came home.
Judy decided it was up to her to make this Christmas special for their family. Part of her just wanted to forget about Christmas altogether this year but she knew that this holiday was special to her family. Judy’s family was Christians. They believed that Jesus, God’s only son, was born on Christmas day to take away the sins of the world. She couldn’t just forget about that! So she decided to put together all of her family pictures and momentos and make a beautiful scrapbook that they all could look at on Christmas Day.
Judy burst in the back door to find Mrs. Sloan busy making bandages and knitting socks for the soldiers. Even though she was well beyond her youth she still did all she could do on the homefront. She even had a "Victory Garden", a vegetable garden for the family so that they didn’t have to buy canned vegetables and the metal could instead be used to make guns and bullets. Mrs. Sloan greeted Judy warmly as Judy sat down across from her in daddy’s old worn out armchair. Fond memories of nights spent in daddy’s lap reading stories and listening to the radio flooded back to Judy’s mind. Mrs. Sloan asked Judy what she wanted for Christmas from Santa Claus and the two discussed how Christmas used to be before daddy left. The two sat and talked through six pairs of socks and then Judy headed up stairs to work on the scrapbook.
Judy already had all of the pictures and decorations placed just where she wanted them. She spent many nights working on the scrapbook when she couldn’t sleep. All the creeks and noises that an old house made seemed so much louder now that daddy wasn’t there.
All of the pages of the scrapbook were filled with so many memories. All of them except the very last page. Judy was stumped as to what to put there. Just then her mother gave a light knock on her bedroom door. Judy hurriedly shoved the scrapbook under her bed and opened the door for momma. Her young mother looked so tired. She used to where nice house dresses and her hair was always done so pretty but now as Judy looked at her she noticed her hair was frazzled, her factory uniform was too big and it had grease and dirt all over it. They talked briefly and then Momma told her to go on to bed. It was getting late.
The few weeks before Christmas passed slowly as Judy helped Mrs. Sloan around the house. They worked on putting up what Christmas decorations they could afford and on helping with the war effort. Every night they’d listen to the big radio in the living room. Her favorite program was "The Green Hornet." Judy would never forget the night just a few weeks earlier on December seventh when the news announcer said that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by the Japanese. But this night was different. It was Christmas Eve and the news was tracking the travels of Santa Claus across the world. While other children were dreaming of all the toys they wanted for Christmas, Judy just dreamed of her daddy and what he was doing right now. She looked over at momma and saw a tear trickle down her face. If only daddy could be here with us now. Mrs. Sloan, momma and Judy ate their dinner and then momma read the Christmas story in front of the fire before going to bed- just like daddy would have. Then it was off to bed. Momma let Judy sleep with her tonight. She must have been lonely.
The next morning Judy woke up to the sound of the door being opened downstairs. Who could be coming to visit so early on Christmas morning? She rushed downstairs and saw daddy on crutches crying and hugging momma! Could it really be him? She ran down and jumped in her daddy’s arms. Oh it was him! How tired he looked and so different, but it was still her daddy. He had been wounded and sent home. He could no longer fight because his leg had been shattered under a truck. He would heal, but would never be the same. The house was full of tears and laughter that day. Mrs. Sloan got out the big heavy camera and took a picture of the three finally together again. Then Judy remembered her scrapbook! She ran upstairs and got it from its hiding place underneath the bed. She brought it down to daddy and momma; how special the scrapbook was that day. Now Judy knew the perfect picture to put on the last page. The picture Mrs. Sloan took of the whole family reunited at last.