…I read my kids a Christmas story before bed. You see, my sister gave me this fun idea to do a 12 Days of Christmas activity with the kids, which includes reading a story and giving them a little treat to go with it every night. Like I said in my last post: no glue, no glitter, no cutting; I can do that. So I got on the blog that has all the stories and treat ideas ready to go and followed suit. It’s simple and the kids love it. Last night was a touching story about a family who gave up their own gifts to help a struggling family with Christmas. It was heartwarming.
Tonight, however, the story was about how Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was originally written. Apparently, it was written by a poor, discouraged man who lived in a shabby little apartment during the Great Depression. He was a gaunt, sickly boy who’d been teased mercilessly in his youth, and then went on to a meager copywriting job as an adult. His wife lay stricken with cancer for over two years, completely bedridden, while his sad daughter asked questions like, “Daddy, why isn’t my mommy like other mommies?” Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse, the poor wife dies. Her bereaved husband writes the story of Rudolph to cheer up his daughter and goes on to read it at an office party. It’s an instant hit and sells over six million copies worldwide, but the widower still grieves his wife and spends the rest of his life in a sort of quasi-peace, the weight of his loss only slightly offset by the commercial success of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
End of story.
Bummer.
We all went to bed depressed.
So much for my attempt to keep up with My Sister’s Creative Mothering.
This post is my early Christmas gift to you, my three faithfuls, lest you were concerned that after my last post, my holiday anecdotes would be all visions-‘o-sugarplum. No, no, my friends. We’re already at Strike One against The Perfect Christmas. (I didn’t think it would come this early. Crap.)
Tomorrow night I think we’ll try Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. That should set the right tone.
@NaDell Ransom, I am laughing out loud at your comment right now. Out loud, really. Authentic versions of fairy tales are always so goth and creepy, and really–what does the Ugly Duckling have to do with Christmas? It was worthy my post just to hear your story. Too funny!
If you sing “Grandma Got Run Over” it’s super fun. Then when you want to make fun of the mean crossing guard on the way to school, you sing, “Joanie got run over by a mini-van.” The song is a winner. You’ll be fine.
@MelissaPete, Ooh, I like that idea. We have some seriously angry adult women working our streets sometimes (that came out wrong…)
My father in law once read the non kid version of The Ugly Duckling on Christmas Eve to everyone. In addition to it being painfully long and boring, it was not even the same story that we remember with fondness. It had about the same ending as your story did…. Try it sometime when you need a little unlift to your day. 😉