The Christmas Gift Of Forgiveness
Due to technology little Mary Lynn was able to put a tea bag in a mug of water before placing both into a microwave oven for a minute. After the alerting buzzing sounded, she added cream and sugar to create a peaceful situation that reflected her personality.
It was the perfect prescription for the Catholic school student suffering from too much sacrifice despite being awarded the opportunity to receive Penance and First Holy Communion last semester. Carrying the drink into the living room the Christmas Tree shined bright with all the family personal decorations on display. Below were the boxes a reminder that someone’s birthday was close at hand and the brown uniform delivery elves were doing their job.
“I mean why do we even spend the time to wrap,” Mary Lynn took a sip, “an address label is attached, and they all look the same, how would anyone know what is inside?”
“Bah humbug, Mary Lynn,” Philip O’Hanlon entered the relaxed atmosphere ready to stoke the fire manually.
“I am just saying, Daddy,”
“Just saying what, honey?”
“Why are we going through all this trouble anyway?”
“It’s Christmas Mary Lynn,” Philip answered.
Only a few hours ago Mary Lynn was with her Mother going from store to store in an enclosed mall using credit cards like they were showing identification.
“You know due to this virus you cannot sit on Santa’s lap," Mary Lynn reported to her Father, “you stand online to send an email from a computer then a piece of paper of a holly jolly smiley face prints out saying Merry Christmas.”
“Isn’t that enough?” Philip easily returned the bellow to its rightful holder in the holiday setting.
Holding the handle to the cup she joined her Father performing the chair climbing exercise onto his lap,
“All last year I studied to attend the Lord’s supper and right before we were going to be allowed to take part in mass, boom,”
“Life threw a curve ball.”
“Yeah, and no one saw it coming,” Mary Lynn agreed, “everything was done virtually turning the wafer into giga bites.”
Laughing Philip took a stronger hold to his daughter, “you do know God is giving us these modern machines maybe he,”
“You got a point but what does the bread taste like? Dad, it's been months since we been able to go to church.”
“A giga bite with ketchup,” Philip took a puff of his pipe.
Almost done with the tea Mary Lynn stayed focus on the Angel highlighting the artificial German tradition that sparkled in colorful lights.
“Daddy, do you believe in Santa or is he just a printed picture to make children feel better?”
“He is not a marketing tool,” Philip O’Hanlon explained, “he is a spirit for the innocent to learn about faith or believing in things that they cannot see.”
“Like the virus,” Mary Lynn answered.
“And despite not being able to see the virus you are prepared for it by taking protection,”
“Wearing a mask and that stuff?” the child commented about ways to defend oneself.
For a few minutes, the two were silent until Philip decided to approach a sensitive subject matter, “Mary Lynn during these times things have been taking away from you which are pretty special and some of these social distance restrictions are borderline torture,”
“Like when Jesus was on the cross and he felt God abandoned him,”
“Right but he had a powerful weapon in his arsenal for the jealous people who were crucifying him?”
“Forgiveness or saying it's all right when they apologize,”
“What if they do not want to apologize?” Mary Lynn asked.
“Then the word takes more significance,” Philip smiled, “and you have the strength to honestly forgive since you believe in Jesus.”
“And Santa,” Mary Lynn decided to get out of her Father’s lap.
Going to the presents she found the ones that were bought by Daddy and pushed them into the living room’s center stage.
“Daddy let’s wrap Mommy’s gifts together.”
“Good idea,” Philip O’Hanlon found the discounted holiday paper.
When all the offerings looked festive ready for presentation the two hugged each other and wished each other a “Merry Christmas.”
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