Sally's Secret Christmas Wish

It was surely an unusual Christmas in the Larchmont family.

Nothing seemed normal to four year old Sally Larchmont.

For one thing her mother was apparently sick, that worried her father a great deal and he was so attentive to her mother that it caused Sally to feel somewhat ignored, and at Christmas time, too.

School was out for Christmas vacation, and it was nice to have those older, neighborhood children around every day, but they had friends from school, and Sally felt like a "tag along."

The TV was broken and her father had said he didn't have the money right then to repair it.

Sally was learning to read, but there was no money for new books, and she had practically memorized all the books she already had.

Her mother and father had asked Sally what she wanted for Christmas, but she had replied "It's a secret" and that was all she would answer, even though they did say "Are you sure there isn't something special you want Santa to bring?"

Sally always replied, "It is special, but Santa already knows, and it's our secret."

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day....

Sally's mother and father had done what they could to decorate the apartment, but it seemed different somehow, as if their hearts weren't really up to the task as they seemed more and more concerned about Sally's mother's health.

Thus it was that the very afternoon of Christmas Eve Sally almost forgot her secret wish for Christmas when she was rushed to her neighbor's home, and her father took her mother to the hospital and stayed there to be with her.

It wasn't until the neighbor lady suggested that Sally might like to hang a borrowed stocking by the fireplace, that Sally remembered her secret wish and wondered how Santa would ever find her stocking there, and bring her present when her mother and father weren't with her.

As the neighbor lady prepared to tuck her in a nice bed for the night, she asked if Sally might like to say a prayer first.

This was Sally's prayer:

"Dear Father in Heaven, please watch over my mother and help her to be well and safe. I know Mom and Dad love me, but it is hard to feel alone at Christmas. Help Santa with my wish and keep him safe as he comes tonight. Amen."

Christmas morning Sally lay silently as the late morning sun began to brighten the winter sky. Finally the neighbor, Ms. Ramos knocked on Sally's door and said "Merry Christmas, Sally."

Her stocking had a hair brush, some candy and an orange, but there was nowhere to be seen the present from Santa, the secret present she had so wished for. Her disappointment must have shown, for Ms. Ramos assured her that she need not give up hope, perhaps her father and mother could be Santa's helpers this year and still make her wish come true.

Ms. Ramos answered a knock at the door, and opened it. Sally's smiling father came in.

"Is Mom okay, daddy?

"She is now, sweetheart. Would you like to go with me to the hospital to see her?"

"Oh, yes, and to wish her Merry Christmas, too."

Sally told her father about her stay with Ms. Ramos, sleeping in a strange bed, her prayer, and the stocking treats.

"Did you get your Christmas wish?" her father asked.

"No, but perhaps it was too big a wish. Maybe next year."

At the hospital....

The hospital was a busy place filled with both serious and happy people, some carrying flowers and presents, others talking softly and holding hands, while others were praying.

Her father took Sally's hand as they walked along to her mother's room.

As they opened the door, Sally's eyes opened wide in amazement and she blurted out, "Santa didn't forget my secret wish. He didn't! He didn't! Oh, mom, I so wanted a baby sister or brother, and now we have one! And I prayed for you to be well, too, and for daddy to be happy, and for it to be a special Christmas for us. Now it is!"

Sally's mother had delivered a healthy baby girl prematurely, but nothing had been said to Sally because several times in recent years the pregnancies had miscarried, and Sally's parents had agreed not to get Sally's hopes up again, unless the pregnancy was successful.

Sally's father said, "Give your mother and baby sister a kiss, and we need to go do some Christmas shopping so your baby sister, Sarah, will have a bed of her own, and a few diapers and pajamas to wear when she and your mother come home soon. And we might even get a doll you can take care of and a new book you can read to her whenever your mother has to take care of Sarah."

"Yes, and it's a very Merry Christmas, isn't it!" said Sally.

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© 2014 Demas W. Jasper All rights reserved.