• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Brandon P. Duncan

Maker of mischief. Teller of stories.

  • Original Short Fiction
  • About My Books
  • Thoughts On Writing
  • Writing Tools
You are here: Home / Original Short Fiction / Christmas Leftovers

Christmas Leftovers

Published on April 26, 2020Filed Under: Original Short Fiction Tagged With: Memoir

Story Dam Button
Check out Story Dam today!

This week, the Story Dam Writers Community challenged us with: “Holiday Leftovers“.

Dam Burst – Write a piece, non-fiction or fiction, in which your character is figuring out what to do with their “leftovers”.

Wet Feet – Choose one direction or topic along the “leftovers” concept. It can be some additional weight gain from the holidays, a wanton shopping spree that will be showing on the next credit card bill… it can even be the pain-in-the-neck start of a New Year’s resolution. Once you have your topic, write a descriptive piece (fiction or non) in which your character is working through it. We’re shooting for realism this week, but be creative.

Here’s my take. While I normally write fiction, this seemed pretty fitting to the prompt. I hope you enjoy it.

~~~

As a child, I lived in New Hampshire — a place where the running joke was “nine months of winter, three months of spring and fall (plus 2 or three days of summer).” That place branded snow and ice as the norm to me. I loved the way the frozen branches of the trees sagged and formed outlines of frosty faces and snowflakes.  I never let the cold faze me—in fact, I would be called in before I gave in.

It also brought the most magical day of year for me. I loved the decorations—the tree lights glistening off the tinsel, most of all. My parents would hang all the cards they received around doorways. My chubby little finger was the official holder of knots tied with curly-q ribbon on the presents I was allowed to see.

Of course, as I grew older I saw what everyone sees. Presents were curiously identical to the suggestions I pointed out in Riches, Kmart, and the malls. One year, I overheard the cursing as my uncle and father made their way to the highest roof peak of our three-story home where a sled I asked Santa for lay buried under five to six inches of Christmas Eve snow. Yes, I was realizing that there might not actually be a Santa.

Still, over the course of my 35 years, I never let that thought taint my absolute love of the season, the purity of the air, the bite of the frost, and the slight possibility that exists in all things “magical”—just because I cannot see it, that doesn’t mean it does not exist…

This year, it started to become apparent that my youngest (and last) child was seeing the signs we all see at some point. She loves the season and the snow (when she gets it). She adores the magic and the wonderment, but she also hears the children at school. It’s also been harder and harder over the years to cover for the mall and in-store Santa’s, when everyone has one, and the costumes are getting worse. Her eyes will be fully open next year, I believe, despite our best attempts at maintaining that magical experience.

It’s happened before with our other kids, but it doesn’t make it any easier. The best I can hope for is that among the carnage from Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts, I will find at least a little piece of leftover hope and belief that I can store away for her to use in the years to come.

Written by BrandonPDuncan. There are 8 Comments. Leave one too! I love to chat.

About BrandonPDuncan

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Renee says

    January 6, 2012 at 20:06

    I hope you can keep it magical for her. I can “hear” the joy you have for the season in your words.

    Reply
    • Brandon says

      January 8, 2012 at 07:02

      Thank you, Renee. I know we can still keep the holidays fun and enjoyable. It’s just that “believing” piece I think is going to be pretty much gone. We’ll see.

      Reply
  2. Donna says

    January 7, 2012 at 18:29

    I still remember the year it dawned on me that Santa might not be real. Instead of being disappointed, I thought I was brilliant to have figured it out. lol But that was the last year Christmas really felt like Christmas, with the butterflies of giggly excitement and all that. It still feels like a special time, but it’s not the same. I wish I had thought to save a little Tupperware of that innocent wonder.

    Reply
    • Brandon says

      January 8, 2012 at 07:04

      Yeah, honestly, i think she was there this year (maybe last) but I felt like she kind of played it off for our sake. I couldn’t really tell. Nice to her to let me have my time of it, anyway. 🙂

      Reply
  3. SAM says

    January 7, 2012 at 23:57

    My 11 yr old is still hanging on to that magic and I try my best to keep it as magical as I can for her. I have a feeling that she might know, but like me, she likes the magic of it.

    Your writing here is fabulous. Your story flows well. I don’t really have any critique to offer because I liked it. I like that it was something different and you stretched your wings a bit.

    Reply
    • Brandon says

      January 8, 2012 at 07:05

      Thank you. And good luck with your little one too. I guess as long as they enjoy the time of year, that’s all that really matters, right?

      Reply
  4. Christmas Parties UK says

    January 10, 2012 at 09:28

    Oh it’s such a shame when they realise 🙁 it wont be long before my children “know the truth” it doesn’t take long once they have started school. I would love to still try to keep a little bit of magic alive for them 🙂

    Reply
    • Brandon says

      January 10, 2012 at 11:52

      Yeah, she’s got a keen ear out right now for all the proof she can get on the jolly man not being real. Kinda sad.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Login with Patreon

Where to reach out…

  • Twitter
  • Email RSS

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in