A sticky candy cane.
An apple.
An orange.
Peanuts in the shell.
Miniature candy bars.
And a brown paper bag.
If you know what I am talking about, then you probably have spent a Christmas Eve or two standing at the front of a cold church, trying to remember your part, trying to stay awake, hoping you wouldn’t throw up – when all you really wanted to do was open your Christmas presents.
After marching out of the church in a well-rehearsed line, there were your teachers standing at the doorway, thrusting wrinkled brown paper bags into the hands of each student. They looked as relieved as you that the whole thing was over.
I wonder if they wanted to be home opening presents, too.
Leah by the Lake 