Once upon a time, in a small village in the middle of the mountains, there lived a girl named Lily. She was kind and gentle, she was always happy to help others. She especially loved helping her mom bake cookies at Christmas.
As Christmas Eve approached, Lily was preparing to celebrate with her family. She enjoys a festive meal with her family, exchanges gifts with her loved ones, sits around the fireplace with her grandpa, and waits for Santa to come in the morning. I was really looking forward to
When everything was ready and I was about to sit down for dinner, the phone rang.
When Lily’s mom answered the phone, her eyes immediately swelled with tears and she looked lovingly at her daughter.
Lily felt a lump in her throat. She already knew what her mother was going to say, but she wasn’t ready to hear her say it out loud: her best friend Emma’s mother had cancer. died.
Emma has been Lily’s best friend since she can remember. Her mom had been ill for months and was getting worse. She knew it was too late for her, but everyone wanted her to survive until Christmas.
Her death on Christmas Eve was particularly devastating, if not completely unexpected.
Lily was heartbroken for her friend and knew she needed support and comfort. Her parents and her brother understood her desire to help her friend and agreed to let her go.
Lily put on her warmest coat and set off down the snow-covered streets. She arrives at Emma’s house to find Emma and her father sitting by the fireplace, looking lost and alone. “Lily, I’m so glad you’re here,” said Emma, putting her arms around her. “Without her mother, she felt alone all the time.”
Lily gave Emma a big hug and comforted her. She told Emma that she was not alone and that she had someone who cared for her and wanted to help. Together, they spent the rest of the day sitting quietly, talking, crying, and remembering Emma’s mother.
At dawn, Emma’s father thanked Lily for the visit. Her presence was a gift to her family, but time slowed down.
“Lily, you are Emma’s true friend,” he said. “But I’m afraid if I stay any longer, I’ll miss the presents from Santa.”
But Lily didn’t care about presents anymore. She knew that her Emma needed her more than anything else, and she decided that she would stay by her side as long as she needed her.
As they sat by the fireplace talking and laughing, Lily saw a weight lift off of Emma’s shoulders. And she knew she made the right decision.
When it was time for Lily to go home, Emma and her father gave her many thanks. “Thank you for being here for me.”
“I’m happy to help,” Lily said with a smile. “Merry Christmas, Emma. I love you.”
As I walked home through a quiet, snow-covered street, I heard church bells ringing in the distance. The sound gave her peace and comfort, and she knew that that night someone more important than her Santa was watching over her and smiling at her.
Lily, who went to sleep that night dreaming of a bright future for Emma, knew that the true joy of Christmas was not to receive presents, but to give love and support to those who needed them most.
