Enthusiasm

Christmas Enthusiasm

Little Sally was excited. It was nine o’clock Christmas Eve, and even though her parents had sent her to bed an hour ago she could not fall asleep. She was wide-awake, her eyes open. She clenched her favorite blanket tightly, staring at the door as if she expected something to bust through any minute.

The minutes went by, and still she could not fall asleep. She could not tear her mind away from thinking What presents would I get this year? or When would Santa come? Santa. Her parents had taught her about the good ol’ St. Nick years ago, about how he wore his big red coat, his fluffy red and white hat. How his stomach bulged like a boulder. His hearty laughter always accompanying the large smile plastered on his face.

She remembered how she had visited him a few weeks before. She had even woken up early, just so she could be first in line to greet him at the local mall. She sat on his lap, and immediately she felt as if she was in heaven. The kind old man listening intently, jolly as ever.

“You’ve been a very good girl this year,” he had told her happily. She was ecstatic. She bounced on his lap, her auburn curls bouncing with her as she thanked him the way any young girl did when this excited: over-eagerly. The old man laughed again, truly enjoying seeing the happiness in the kids that came to see him.

Sally sat on her bed, smiling at the memory. She loved Santa. Almost as much as mommy and daddy. She looked at her bedside clock and saw that it was almost ten thirty. She yawned, the tiredness finally overcoming her despite her excitement of what was to come the next day. Her eyes closed but she quickly forced them open, shaking her head and staring at the door again.

But soon her eyes closed again, this time not opening until the next morning. She awoke before six, quickly jumping out of bed, grabbing her favorite blanket and teddy bear – Snuggles, as she dubbed him – and racing down the stairs, the enthusiasm filling her body. Half way down the Christmas tree was in sight, along with all of the beautifully-wrapped presents. Santa had come! she thought gleefully to herself.

She bounded down the steps even faster, rushing to the foot of the tree and tearing open the packages that had her name on it as her parents entered the room behind her.

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