(Christmas story)

George walked along the crowded shopping mall, looking at shop windows decorated with New Year’s accessories and listening to the New Year’s conversations of people mixed with joyful Christmas music pouring festively from large speakers. It would seem that he should have felt a pleasant thrill, the joy of expecting something magical and mysterious, but there was only sad longing in his soul. ‘Why so?’ George did not understand.

As a child, the New Year’s Eve was something like a fairy tale for him: the decorated Christmas trees seemed gigantic, people seemed funny, and the candies from gift wrappers tasted better. With every passing year, his melancholy intensified and turned everything topsy-turvy. The closer the holiday the darker the thoughts…

‘What to do?’ thought George in a gloomy way. Reflecting upon all his problems, he sat down on a bench near the Christmas tree. Suddenly a little girl ran up to him.

“Why are you so sad? Christmas is coming!” she clapped with her bright blue eyes.

“I wish I knew,” George answered. “A holiday will be soon, but I don’t know at all where my Christmas mood disappeared…”

“Let me help you to get it back!” suddenly the girl pulled out of her pocket a small Christmas tree toy in the shape of an angel. “Look at it. It is magic! Hang it on the Christmas tree, and your mood will return! It will definitely come back!”

She disappeared as swiftly as she appeared, leaving George at a loss. He was holding a holiday toy in his hands, and suddenly an idea flashed in his mind. A holiday is what we create with our own hands. A holiday is people who surround us at our festive table. And he is sad only because he does not take part in this crazy merry-go-round Christmas carousel.

He unfolded a fresh newspaper and noticed a phrase of Edna Ferber, “Christmas isn’t a season. It’s a feeling.”

George struck his forehead, put a newspaper away and called all his close and faraway folks, “Merry Christmas! How are you getting along? Do you need any help…bla-bla-bla-and-bla-bla-bla…!” Having heard the happy voices of all members of his big family he went to buy the most beautiful Christmas tree…to place a little white angel, he got as a present from a little nice girl.