Once upon a time, there were two childhood friends. They were inseparable. Every day, they used to play for hours. At first, their age was five. They continued playing until the age of ten. But don’t worry, nothing happened. Their days were all exciting, raining or snowing. Nothing affected their joy. Nothing. These two friends imagined the word ” nothing ” as a nasty woman. This woman full of rage, saying to them loudly, “I will be able to win you tomorrow “. But she was never right. Until this tragic day…

It was a rainy afternoon. The friends are now twenty years old. After arguing about social media, they returned to their homes. The one started decorating for Christmas. But she wasn’t happy at all. She was annoyed and angry. The other one also felt like this, bad-tempered. This anger was huge, so when they turned 30 years old, none of them talked to the other.

Again, Christmas after ten years. At a Christmas dinner, they looked like strangers. They didn’t even remember who is who. Also, the one thought: “Maybe he is dead”. The other one thought that he needs to call her. But her number was deleted, so he couldn’t do that. So, at that Christmas dinner, they decided to find each other. So, let’s see what happened!

“Oh my God, is that you? Really? I missed you!” they both said. And laughter appeared on their faces again. Their reaction was something more than bliss. That’s the true Christmas spirit. The best gifts are not material goods; they are the friends and family, the happiness and luck. Everyone deserves true friendship. Do you agree?

25/12/2000, Christmas Day

My dear diary…

“Can Christmas really bring two people back together or will they be lost as well as their memories?”
That was the last thing that I wrote in my diary and since then I have never written again…

Tomorrow is Christmas and I haven’t gotten any presents yet! What should I do? All the shops are full of kids who are crying and see the toys as something that will make them really happy and parents who don’t like Christmas like they did when they were younger. I think my nephews don’t need presents for this year, they are very mature to understand that their aunt doesn’t have the strength anymore to buy presents-and generally celebrate Christmas. The best Christmas for me would be alone at home, watching old Christmas movies with a cup of hot chocolate in one hand and a remote control in the other.

But every year my sister manages to interrupt my personal peace and call me for the annual Christmas meeting all the family has to celebrate Christmas. And every year, because I don’t want to disappoint them, I go with the same fake smile and a bag full of presents. I am like Santa Claus without any of the Christmas’ vibes. I must survive this year too, so I am going to get the presents, before I change my mind.

Today, I woke up in a total disaster. I woke up from a strong smell of something. Unfortunately, it took me a lot of time to recognize that this something was something that was burning slowly. Immediately, I wore my Christmas slippers, which my sister got me, and ran like the whole world was ending. I went down the stairs and what did I see… my best friend Lisa cooking, or better burning, some Christmas cookies. I made her go away and I immediately turned off the oven. I was scared to death. Her excuse was that, because of the day, she wanted to surprise me and woke me up with some Christmas cookies. I regretted the day that I gave her an extra key for the house, because our houses are near and if I need something she can immediately come. But after all this disaster, she wanted me to go shopping with her, because she is single too, and she doesn’t have anything to do days like these. In the end, I agreed, but something was making me worry.

Everywhere there were people taking their morning walk, in the snowy streets, and especially a lot of couples. It was Christmas, but I couldn’t feel it. While we were walking, because I am so stupid, I wasn’t looking in front of me, so, as a result, I collided with someone. I felt so stupid, and I immediately gave my hand to help. But when he gave me his hand, I felt something that I had had a lot of years to feel. We looked at each other. I saw again these big, brown eyes that were keeping me company during those unforgettable nights on the roof of the old apartment building where I lived. I couldn’t be wrong. It was him!

I couldn’t say a word. But neither did he. I could tell from his face that he recognized me too. Lisa was standing there and couldn’t understand anything. I talked to her about him once when one day she randomly found my diary and read it. He talked first and said, “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground”. That was a quote that we found in a book, in a book of the many we have explored. A tear started making a path of old memories and I started living in my childhood life once again. I immediately hugged him and couldn’t let him until I found out…

I woke up, looked outside the window and realized that not all the stories have a happy ending and maybe I have to wait much longer until I find him, if I find him on some Christmas day like he promised me.

…my faith will stay strong until I find you, even if it takes hours, days, years or a whole life.

Once upon a time there was a box. A really sad box. The box lived in the street. Christmas just reminded to the box how miserable it was. So it hated Christmas. It didn’t have a heart, so it couldn’t feel the happiness of Christmas.

Every Christmas Eve the box watched people having fun and laughing and singing and it just couldn’t understand. “Why can’t I be happy too?” 

This year it was snowing. The box was really cold but there was nothing it could do. On December 1st, all of sudden, a woman who seemed poor came and took the box to her home. The box was feeling really weird. Did the woman want to help the box? Did the woman like the box?

That next minute, the woman put a teddy bear in the box, and she closed it. Then she covered it with something (the box couldn’t know what). “Does she care about me? Is she trying to warm me?” This was the first time the box ever felt like that. That was definitely the best day of its life. 

But then everything changed. The box never felt the woman’s hands again, because the next day she locked it somewhere. The box couldn’t know where because it was still covered with something but it was somewhere dark. And there was a really bad smell of stale air.

It stayed there for a month, but on 25th December (Christmas) it felt a light and it realized that a door was opened. Then it felt a woman’s hands again. It was mad at her, but it couldn’t not be happy. And then, the miracle happened. It listened to a kid laughing and the cover disappeared. All it could see now was a kid’s face laughing. The kid took the teddy bear from the box. Watching the happiness on the kid’s face was making the box happy because it knew that the box was the reason that the kid was happy. That was the first time the box felt that way. 

And now it knew: “You can only feel the happiness in your life, if you know how to make other people happy.”

In a quiet town where snowflakes fell,
A loving soul lived with a story to tell.
John, his name, with a heart so kind,
But life had left him far behind.

No twinkling lights, no festive cheer,
And silence grew as Christmas drew near.
A broken roof, not a match’s glow,
His tiny house buried deep in the snow.

Yet whispers spread through the frozen air,
Neighbors noticed and decided to provide care.
The lumberjack came with his sturdy hands,
Fixing the roof to make it stand.

The baker came with a sweet delight
Bread, cakes, cookies baking overnight.
Children painted cards so bright,
Each one a spark to light the night.

Soon his home was trimmed with care,
A glowing tree stood shining there.
Songs of joy filled the chilly night,
Bringing tears to John’s elderly eyes.

Christmas is not for gifts and gold,
It’s for love and warmth when hearts unfold.
The town had given what they could share,
Proving kindness lies everywhere.

Now John smiles when snowflakes fall,
Forgetting the nights he had none.
A warm house, a tree, a pure heart anew,
All thanks to a caring community that came through.

Take me back
To the times we had fun
When we were naïve
And didn’t look back

Around the tree
Where we all sang along
To every strange, beautiful song

Now, there’s empty space on the leaves
Waiting once more, to be filled
With silly tunes, and clumsy hands
Now, there’s no going back

Time’s a thief who keeps on stealing
Happy years and pictures from walls
And it leaves behind little crumbs
That make you wonder and still hope

And these words are for you
You, who got robbed without a gain
And left me behind, with all these pictures
When are you coming back again?

I never said “I missed you”
But now, decorating the tree
Feels like an empty pleasure
An unfinished symphony

So to the star above that tree
And everything that’s real
Please, make the picture on the wall
More than crumbs, more than a memory

Christmas is beautiful
But it isn’t when you spend
then it’s shameful
It’s beautiful when you share
and you help people
Not when you buy things
for the people