Amazing Grace in Christmas

I grew up in the suburbs outside of town, I won't tell you where because it doesn't matter. Well, it shouldn't matter, because this story has happened in many locations.

It was Christmas time, and my family was busy decorating our house and buying presents for each other. I'm not always so "on-the-ball", but this time I was. Weeks before Christmas, I had all of the presents bought and wrapped. By the time schools let out for winter break and the malls filled up, I was at home; seated warm and toasty in front of the fire, waiting for family and friends to drop by.

When they did, or when I paid my visits, we always exchanged gifts and caught up. It was such a happy time, and I was sure everyone was under the influence of the Christmas cheer. But I was wrong.

When visiting my brother's home, I had to park further away, because he had several other friends visiting as well. The house I parked in front of had no Christmas cheer, much less any holiday spirit to it. The little yellow house seemed to shiver under the snow and wind. I carefully stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the house and looked up at the gloomy windows. It was such a quaint little house, though shadowed by sadness and abandonment.

But it wasn't in my place to walk up the walkway and knock on the front door, so I hurried over to my brothers house, managing not to slip on the ice, and asked him who lived in the house. My brother was busy, talking to all the men-folk who had gathered, all in similar red sweaters with various Christmas comments on their chests. My brother had the best one; with a reindeer that we and laughed when it turned on, and a trail of seven reindeer's pulling Santa's sleigh, he lit up the room.

My sister-in-law, brimming with embarrassment, wore classy, dark green, to the floor down. I had never understood how she chose him over all her other suitors, and she would always laugh whenever I asked her. It was one of those things that we usually let drag between us. And, I always figured, no matter how dorky my brother looked, his wife always seem to balance him out by dressing super well and dividing her attention, equally, amongst all the guests present.

When she saw me, we embraced like old friends having long been separated for whatever whimsical reasons there were. We inquired of each other's well-being, followed by the weather, the ice on the road, and the snow still to fall. She would ask about my search for a husband, and I would reply with my usual, "Gone fishing." Her laugh would resonate through the, already warm, room. And that's when I asked about the house.

My sister-in-law, for whatever reason it was, dragged me into the kitchen. There, she sat me down and confessed to having no success in talking to the owner of the house. Of all people, my sister-in-law would work night and day to make others comfortable and happy. To hear of her failure and distress, I was instantly worried and willing to help.

She told me of the old women that lived in the house, otherwise called 'Grandma J'. The woman had been alone for several years, and those seasons passed, no one visited her. My sister-in-law had asked other neighbors about Grandma J., but they offered no more help than, "You ought to stay away from her. That old woman is mean." My sister-in-law told me that she did not give up. Holiday after holiday, year after year, my sister-in-law found some way to visit the old lady. And, unfortunately, visit after visit, the door remained shut.

My sister-in-law felt distressed, unable to help someone feel the Christmas cheer. Christmas was her favorite time of the year, and for someone to not feel it, or experience it, was unimaginable to her. And I agreed. Knowing someone, anyone, who refused all of the holiday spirits was just wrong, in my eyes. So I started suggesting things to her. But all of my suggestions were met with, "I did that already. She wouldn't budge." And then her eyes lit up, like a child's during Christmas time when faced with huge mountains of presents. She said, "I did, once see her at the music store. I had to ask the clerk what she bought, for she hurried in, picked it up, and rushed out. I never knew an old woman could move so fast, but she did. And that clerk told me that she had ordered and picked up the old hymnal version of 'Amazing Grace'."

I looked at my sister-in-law, my eyes wide. She returned my luck with the similar expression of sneakiness and plotting. I felt elated, though not knowing this old woman, we had something on her. It was let the feelings a private eye felt when finding the clue to the killer that killed the holiday spirit in her life. She had discovered a possible chunk of kryptonite we could use against Grandma J., and so we put our heads together to come up with a plan.

It was the coldest winter our city has yet to experience in the past 10 years. Everyone dreams of staying indoors, sitting around the fireplace and drinking hot chocolate while talking about Christmas stories. Dinner took two hours, the adults in the main dining room and the children in the den. After all the turkeys had been consumed, veggie platters annihilated, and cider drunk, we put our plan into action.

"Okay everyone," my sister-in-law called out, getting everyone's attention. When all eyes turned to her, she announced, "It's time to go caroling on our street!" The room was filled with groans of despair and flat-out refusals; no one wanted to go out into the cold after a warm meal. But my sister-in-law was adamant. She raised a fist into the air and stated, "Four years, we have stayed within our walls, never venturing out and sharing our happiness with others. Who knows how long these happy days will last?" She rushed over to my brother's side and held onto him for support, "Christmas is a time to gather with loved ones and spread good cheer. We have a good number of people here, it shouldn't take long."

I pity the fool who can refuse a request for my sister-in-law, for they would miss out on a lot of fun. Half an hour later, with everyone bundled up and in boots, we left her house and sung carols to her neighbors. The first two are a bit confused because many of us started in different keys and verses, but would join together for the chorus. At the third house, my sister-in-law took charge, and we started on the same note and the same verse. And so we continued, walking across the street, going from house to house, until we stopped at Grandma J.'s house.

No one wanted to go there. But my sister-in-law trudged up the un-shoveled walkway, up onto the porch. My brother and I followed next, and then everyone else came, too. My sister-in-law bring the doorbell and then jumped back to her husband's side. When the door did not open, some of the others turned around and began walking towards the next house.

"Stop! Come back!" I shouted to them. They came back, but not because of me. They came back because my sister-in-law started singing, 'Amazing Grace' at the top of her lungs. My brother joined in, and then I, and then the rest of our company. Even the children knew the song, and we sing it together. By time we finished, the temperature had dropped, severely, and everyone groaned about the cold, and started heading back to the house.

My sister-in-law stopped when she heard a small creak come from the door. She turned as the door opened and an old woman stepped forward. With tears in her eyes, her old hands shaking, she asked, "Won't you come in for some hot chocolate?" As she stepped aside, she added, "I think I got enough for everyone out there."

My sister-in-law answered first. She stepped up and embraced Grandma J., and asked, "Did you enjoy our singing?"

The old woman smiled, decades of worry and grief disappearing instantly, as she chuckled, "I found I was dreaming when I heard the song. It used to be my husband's favorite, and we would sing it on Christmas Eve, together. Oh, but he passed away 10 years ago. I didn't think I would sing that song again, until tonight, when I found myself singing along with you." Tears fell from her eyes as she told us her story.

Eventually, everyone made it inside, and yes; there was enough hot chocolate for everyone. She picked up a candy cane and showed the children, "See? You can use it to stir, and it melts!" She took a sip from her mug, and smiled, "But it tastes so much better!" All of the children tried it, and several of the adults, discreetly, traded as well.

Standing with my sister-in-law, I smiled at her and congratulated her. I'm mused, "Another Christmas saved! What has our hero to say?"

My sister-in-law looked over to the laughing, Grandma J., with the children all around her, and replied, "How truly amazing Grace is; and how sad it is when we forget what Christmas is all about." I took her hand and watched a tear fall from her eye. I knew the tear wasn't out of sadness, but out of relief, because no one wants to be alone during the holidays, and no one wants to feel forgotten by the world.

I share this story with you because, in every city, there's bound to be someone like Grandma J., alone and apart from the world, to some degree. And if you don't make the effort to spread Christmas cheer to them, what makes you think someone else will? So please, in your hustle and bustle for the Christmas season, don't overlook those who need it most. Sometimes, things may not turn out as well as they did for my sister-in-law. But other times, the reward is 10 times as great as the effort put in.