The Winning Entry

The local newspaper is having a contest. They want you to write your favorite Christmas memory, and the Grand Prize winner wins 4 tickets to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes, and they get a meet and greet session with the Rockettes. Then, five winning essays will each win four free tickets. I'm sure I'll win. This is my essay I wrote:

"I have many wonderful memories of Christmases past, from walking in the snowy woods in search of the perfect Christmas tree to baking cookies for Santa. But one memory stands out the most for me…

Our Christmas tradition when I was little was to spend Christmas Day at my aunt and uncle’s house in Seattle. My grandmother, who lived right next door, would also make the drive from Everett to Seattle with us. We’d all pile into the small, two-door car on Christmas Day. My sisters and my grandmother would sit in the back. My parents would sit in the front. And me? I’d sit on my mom’s lap. Apparently, we didn’t worry about seatbelts in the late 1960s…

On this particular Christmas, we piled into the car for our annual trek into Seattle. I had just gotten into the car and sat down on mom’s lap. That is when it happened.

Even though I was on mom’s lap, I still had to swing my legs into the car. I was in the process of doing this, when mom called out, “Ok, is everyone in?” Before I could answer, she slammed the car door shut. And it slammed shut right onto my big toe!

I am sure that I immediately cried out, and that she quickly opened the door, but the damage had been done. I am sure that my dad drove like a maniac to my aunt and uncle’s house in Seattle. My dad then took me to the Emergency Room at a nearby hospital. This was an embarrassing event for me as well, since I had to take off my tights in front of my dad, the doctor, and a cousin I didn’t really know who came along with us to show us the way to the hospital. This was humiliating for such a shy seven-year old, and was like rubbing salt into the wound.

However, the toe wasn’t broken. We went back to my aunt and uncle’s house. I remember just sitting that year and wearing slippers. That night, my toe hurt me too much to sleep. I got up and went out into the family room where my dad was watching an old movie on tv. I crawled into his lap and snuggled in. I felt better.

But this is not a happy memory. So why should it win? Because I know that my mom felt just terrible for having caused her baby such pain, and on Christmas of all days. A day that should be full of happy surprises for her children instead was a day of pain. And I know she has carried that guilt now for 40 years. If this story wins the contest, I will be sure to take her to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, because I believe this is the only way that she can finally let go of that guilt and be at peace.

And Christmas should be all about peace, don’t you think?"

The hardest part for me was keeping the essay to 500 words or less. My original one was almost 600 words. The one I entered is 496. I hope I win!