It was Christmas Eve as I lay out in a field with my father next to me. We gazed up at the twinkling stars above. I didn’t want to be here at all, but my dad insisted I come. “The best Christmas present is creating an experience to remember forever,” he always used to tell me. I didn’t think so. I wanted presents under the tree and a warm cooked meal surrounded by my family, but times had changed.
“Son, I’m really glad we could do this,” my dad said to me. I laid there in silence brushing him off. I was upset that things had changed. “Look there’s Orion’s Belt right there,” he said pointing at the star cluster. Still I sat in silence. We drove out here to camp for one night, and the whole time I only thought about what could have been.
“You’re mad at me aren't you,” my dad said. My heart sank now as I laid there in silence. I felt bad for my old man. I knew he was trying the best he could.
“I just miss the way things used to be,” I replied with a great sigh.
“Things will get better, son, I promise.”
“Don’t make any promises you can’t keep.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s supposed to mean exactly what I said.”
At that moment I saw a shooting star soar across the sky. It was the first time I had ever seen such a thing. I heard my dad get up next to me and walk back to our tent. I laid there for a few moments by myself observing the dark sky above. My parent’s divorce really took a toll on my father. I knew this Christmas wasn’t going to be the same.
I got up, and headed back to the tent where I saw my dad sitting on his cot, as he fiddled with something in his hands. He looked at me, and I saw the hurt in his eyes. It weighed on me – his glassy-eyed gaze – it felt like somebody was pushing against my chest.
“I was saving this for another time, but I want you to have it,” he solemnly said as he held out a wad of cash. “It’s all I've got right now, but you deserve it.” I didn't know what to say, or what to do. I froze in place as the weight of his offer nailed me in the gut. I thought about the shooting star, and why my father brought me out here.
“No, dad, you keep it,” I said as I sat next to him. “Like you said, Christmas isn’t about the things you get. It’s about the memories you share with the ones you love.” He hugged me as he sobbed on my shoulder, and I held him back. It was the Christmas that I never saw coming, and was the one I surely wasn't ever going to forget.
“Son, I’m really glad we could do this,” my dad said to me. I laid there in silence brushing him off. I was upset that things had changed. “Look there’s Orion’s Belt right there,” he said pointing at the star cluster. Still I sat in silence. We drove out here to camp for one night, and the whole time I only thought about what could have been.
“You’re mad at me aren't you,” my dad said. My heart sank now as I laid there in silence. I felt bad for my old man. I knew he was trying the best he could.
“I just miss the way things used to be,” I replied with a great sigh.
“Things will get better, son, I promise.”
“Don’t make any promises you can’t keep.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s supposed to mean exactly what I said.”
At that moment I saw a shooting star soar across the sky. It was the first time I had ever seen such a thing. I heard my dad get up next to me and walk back to our tent. I laid there for a few moments by myself observing the dark sky above. My parent’s divorce really took a toll on my father. I knew this Christmas wasn’t going to be the same.
I got up, and headed back to the tent where I saw my dad sitting on his cot, as he fiddled with something in his hands. He looked at me, and I saw the hurt in his eyes. It weighed on me – his glassy-eyed gaze – it felt like somebody was pushing against my chest.
“I was saving this for another time, but I want you to have it,” he solemnly said as he held out a wad of cash. “It’s all I've got right now, but you deserve it.” I didn't know what to say, or what to do. I froze in place as the weight of his offer nailed me in the gut. I thought about the shooting star, and why my father brought me out here.
“No, dad, you keep it,” I said as I sat next to him. “Like you said, Christmas isn’t about the things you get. It’s about the memories you share with the ones you love.” He hugged me as he sobbed on my shoulder, and I held him back. It was the Christmas that I never saw coming, and was the one I surely wasn't ever going to forget.
