Day 4
Ding dong merrily on high,
In heav'n the bells are ringing:
Ding dong! verily the sky
Is riv'n with angels singing
Ding! Celia’s cell phone offered a reprieve from her task. Merry’s face shone out from the phone. She had been texting Celia twice a day lately, now that she was alone.
“All ready for our hike tomorrow?” Merry was determined to keep Celia cheerful with outdoor exercise, healthy food, and engaging projects. So far, they had taken yoga and painting classes together, biked along the boardwalk at the beach, and shopped at every organic food shop in the county. Merry had even gotten them a farm share for fresh vegetables last summer. The fun they had coming up with recipes for mountains of eggplant, tubs of purple potatoes, or bushels of kale! The zucchini and tomato harvest had almost overwhelmed them. Cooking and sharing with friends and those in need gave them extra joy.
Merry had been all for Celia writing “a short Christmas story to inspire the congregation at this festive time of the year,” as her pastor had put it. Short, she might be able to do, but inspiring? Sighing, Celia sent a happy face sticker back to Merry on her new smartphone, another of Merry’s suggestions — dragging her mother into the twenty-first century. Celia bristled just a little. A hike, a writing project, and a new phone weren’t much comfort, but if they brought more time with her daughter, she was happy. Just the sight of Merry lifted her spirits.
Celia shut her laptop. Her brain was as foggy as Scrooge’s London. Dickens had used up all the good story ideas. Shaking her head to clear it, Celia muttered, “Humbug,” under her breath. Perhaps tomorrow’s early morning hike would be just the thing to inspire her Christmas story.
Advent Challenge: When was the last time you checked on someone you love? Give a call, share a recipe, cook something wonderful and deliver it to a shut-in. Use your smartphone or your computer to video call. Lift someone’s spirit today with a smile.
Prayer: Gloria! Gloria! Hosanna in excelsis! Dear Lord, with the angels and bells, we praise you. Gloria! Hosanna in excelsis! Amen
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