The Christmas Gift (Short Story)

Written by C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot


In a small, Southern town offrepparttar banks ofrepparttar 110671 Edisto River lived a bright-eyed, skinny, brown-haired girl. Renee was a jovial child, filled with love and compassion. In everything, she managed to find some light.

Renee would take daily strolls torepparttar 110672 riverbank where she'd gather unique rocks and stray seashells. On her way to her hidden refuge, `neath towering oaks and mossy vines, she'd passrepparttar 110673 house where Sady lived.

Though Renee never saw much of Sady's owners, she would always stop by to petrepparttar 110674 bulky but gentle giant. Sady wasn't any ordinary dog - she was special. Whenever Renee would come by,repparttar 110675 tall black and tan rotty would scoop up her fringed tennis ball and toss it intorepparttar 110676 air for Renee to throw.

The oversized dog was pinned in a very small kennel, but she would always perk up when Renee was there. Renee would squeeze her tiny wrists and hands throughrepparttar 110677 rusty, wire mesh and lovingly stroke Sady. In return, Sady would adore Renee with her eyes and rub her side against Renee's small fingers.

Sneaking leftovers to Sady was Renee's favorite thing to do. She knew Sady didn't get much to eat, `cause she could tell fromrepparttar 110678 looks of her that mealtime must've been meager helpings of Ol'Roy dog food. Neverrepparttar 110679 matter, Renee would bring strips of broken beef jerky, Vienna sausages and anything she could swipe from her fridge. Before leaving Sady, Renee would gather fresh water fromrepparttar 110680 River and fill Sady's empty water bowl.

As Autumn leaves began to fall, Renee had noticed that Sady was becoming thinner and lankier, but she couldn't come as often because School took precedence over her walks torepparttar 110681 river refuge. One day, Renee asked her Pa if he'd talk torepparttar 110682 owners of Sady and see whether they'd like to give herrepparttar 110683 big dog. 'What'r ya gonna do with such a big dawg?' asked Pa.

'Oh, I don't know, Pa. But I'd feed her and love her,' she added, 'that's all Sady really wants,' she continued, 'her owners aren't ever there, and it just seems wrong to keep her pinned in that little fence.'

Pa shook his head, and he cupped his hands around Renee's chin, 'Pun'kin, we ain't gotrepparttar 110684 kinda money to take care of such a big dawg. He'd eat us out of house and home.'

Renee pushed Pa's hands away from her face and said matter-of-factly, 'first of all, he ain't a he - she's a she, and Sady would never do that.'

With that, she trumped off to her room. Downhearted, she slipped on her shoes and coat, and made her way outrepparttar 110685 door.

'Where ya goin?' Pa asked.

'I'm going to see Sady,' Renee replied, 'somebody's got to love her.'

Pa didn't try to stop her. He figured so long as Renee could visit Sady, that would be enough.

Renee went to Sady's pen, but Sady didn't run torepparttar 110686 fence edge as she normally did. She was laying inrepparttar 110687 corner, head low torepparttar 110688 ground and she barely lifted her eyes when Renee called to her. 'What'srepparttar 110689 matter, girl?' asked Renee.

It had been about a week since she'd last seen Sady. Now,repparttar 110690 dog had a swollen tummy and she appeared very weak and tired. Sady staggered to her feet and slowly walked to greet Renee. Her tail wasn't wagging as much, and Renee could clearly see hipbones sticking out onrepparttar 110691 large dog. 'Come here, Sady,' she called to her, 'it's okay girl,' she pulled a half-eaten pecan log from her pocket, 'here, girl. Gotta treat for you.'

Sady peered throughrepparttar 110692 mesh at Renee. Sadly, Renee strokedrepparttar 110693 sweet dog throughrepparttar 110694 fence while Sady hungrily aterepparttar 110695 pecan log. 'Pa says I can't have you, Sady. But one day, when I'm big, I'll come and get you girl,' she whispered.

Before too long, it had gotten dark and Renee knew she had to get home. When she arrived back atrepparttar 110696 house, Pa told her, 'Renee, ya really need to try to stay home more often and work on your homework,' he paused, 'you're always off with that dawg inrepparttar 110697 woods and I don't ever see ya workin' on school papers.'

Renee nodded her head, 'I know, Pa...it's just that...' she started.

'I know ya love that dawg, Renee, but schoolin' comes first,' he ended.

Knowing that she wasn't going to get her way much longer with going to see Sady, Renee stayed more at home but still made weekend trips torepparttar 110698 riverside nearby Sady's kennel. Each time she'd see her, Sady seemed weaker and sicker. What kind of people could do this to such a lovable, huggable girl? Renee thought to herself.

On Christmas Day,repparttar 110699 first snow was blanketingrepparttar 110700 grounds around Renee's house. Though money was tight and there wasn't enough for any presents, she got Pa to come outside with her to build a snowman. After about an hour of playing and laughing inrepparttar 110701 snowdrifts, Renee had a terrible, horrible thought, `what had become of poor Sady?' she thought aloud to herself. Here she was having a wonderful time playing outside inrepparttar 110702 snow, but Sady would be all by herself with little shelter fromrepparttar 110703 bitter cold.

Suddenly, Renee turned to Pa, and she said, 'Can I go and see Sady just for a few minutes, Pa?'

Pa winked his eye at Renee, 'yep...,' he smiled, 'but take that old pack of bologna fromrepparttar 110704 fridge with ya when ya go. Gotta get rid of that old stuff, ya know.'

Renee forced a grin and ran to grabrepparttar 110705 newly opened pack of bologna fromrepparttar 110706 fridge and trotted down to Sady's pen. As she nearedrepparttar 110707 bend where Sady lived, she noticed that there were some grown men standing aroundrepparttar 110708 mesh wire. Hiding behindrepparttar 110709 bushes, she could faintly hear them speaking.

'I told ya to get rid of that stupid dawg,' said one.

'Yep,' saidrepparttar 110710 other placing his hands on his hips, 'now what ya gonna do?' he added.

There was a bustle inrepparttar 110711 back ofrepparttar 110712 pen, but Renee couldn't see what was happening. Her heart sunk. She knew for sure that something terrible had happened, but what?

At about that time, Pa walked up behind Renee and startled her, 'what'r ya doin?' asked Pa.

'Oh-my-gosh!' she gulped, 'what'r you doing here, Pa?'

'I came to seerepparttar 110713 fabulous Sady you always talk about. Why'r ya hidin' `hindrepparttar 110714 bushes?' he asked.

'There are people there Pa. I ain't never seen them before.'

Pa strokedrepparttar 110715 whiskers on his chin, '...hmmm...' he pondered, 'well, let's go on home then.'

My Father Who Art in Heaven

Written by Robert Bruce Baird


I took one university course before discovering I was entitled to go into a Master's Program at York University if I got over 75%-ile onrepparttar GMAT. With ten years successful business experience and by testing out ofrepparttar 110670 Baccalaureate Level course (CLEP test). This one course was Logic. The professor got his doctorate by doing a thesis on 'Giving and Do-Gooders'. Onrepparttar 110671 day ofrepparttar 110672 final exam I brought him a one page premise in support of 'He who is least selfish, is MOST selfish.'. He read it while we wroterepparttar 110673 exam, which I finished early enough for him to tell me allrepparttar 110674 things that were wrong with my premise. My best point in retort was 'Why didn't you consider this possibility?' He was incensed and threatened like a lot of people who deal with my 'know-it-allness'. After all, he had achieved his esteemed doctorate and I was just 29 in a first year B.A. class.

So why was I wrong? Why did it upset him so much? What could I possibly have known that made him avoid me likerepparttar 110675 plague when I saw him atrepparttar 110676 racetrack (horses, and he didn't even acknowledge a wave) a couple of weeks later? How could I see something he hadn't even considered or that his thesis guides hadn't brought up? What value is there in an education where 'do-gooders' are diminished by egoists who don't even observe that humanity has higher aspirations than mere selfish recognition inrepparttar 110677 mode of such arcane and abstruse ideologues and pedagogues as Hegel? I quoted Van Dyke's poetry and Gibran (mayberepparttar 110678 poetry and its' heart touching rather than intellect enchanting appeal wasrepparttar 110679 cause):

"There are those who as in yonder valley,repparttar 110680 myrtle breathes its fragrance torepparttar 110681 air. These arerepparttar 110682 children of GOD, and through them he smiles uponrepparttar 110683 earth!"

My sense of 'Brotherhood' was offended by his narcissistic pessimism but I smiled inrepparttar 110684 confidence that I was right. That annoying look of pomposity that comes from actually learning and being interested with an open mind rather than a sheepskin from fools who 'think' they are wise men. It could easily be said that this is arrogance and it has been said more than once. The reader may think that and if they have read this far in this book they are entitled to have that opinion of me. For myself I know I am a 'fool'. THE SOUL is another matter indeed. Yes, I know there are many who give in expectation of return or in hope of building fences that obligate and manipulate others to recognize their specialness. The white picket fences of fantasies have confronted my search on more than one occasion.

That was an unnecessary and obvious observation that I didn't feel warranted anything more than a mere stipulation to its veracity. It was his whole thesis though buttressed by other 'me-too' scholars who can wend words and vacillate like moths to a flame or deer inrepparttar 110685 headlights of oncoming vehicles. I diminished its import as a stage like puberty inrepparttar 110686 becomingness toward ‘bliss’ that comes from giving without need of return.

In factrepparttar 110687 return of a favour isn't something I would want as much as passing it along to others in need. But, there have been times when I know I've given and seen others try to negate eitherrepparttar 110688 gift or me, so maybe I haven't always been so truly motivated at those times. As a child I had always valued true sharing andrepparttar 110689 model my father created in his simple and wondrous gift of friendship and respect to myself and my three brothers. He never felt any need (I could see, torepparttar 110690 most part) to control or form us in his image vicariously or otherwise. He loved to hear us call him 'JIM'! It truly was unusual and people often remarked on that fact.

No higher position in his cosmogony than enabling and learning from and WITH us! He was a soul who participated without prejudice inrepparttar 110691 many wonders nature (God) provides us all. Inrepparttar 110692 end, I knew LOVE was there when I 'let a bird go free'; if 'it returned' of its own accord and strong volition with hopes of adding to what I knew or sharing what it had helped others to learn - that infrequent treasure isrepparttar 110693 essence of what makes me proud. I knew it is not just in this world that we receive benefits or karmic reward. History is full of examples of those who gave openly being persecuted by those who take! Jesus, Socrates and Tesla were becoming even greater guides for my pursuit.

I was finding more than I ever thought there was inrepparttar 110694 words of Shakespeare and loved Victor Hugo's appreciation ofrepparttar 110695 bard when he talked about 'glimpsingrepparttar 110696 waves ofrepparttar 110697 marvellous'. I had no anthropomorphed or other entity that I could demand a hearing from in my prayers. No following, no cult, not even a desire to belong to most ofrepparttar 110698 human race. I was wealthy in matters material. My goals had been met in most ofrepparttar 110699 driven ways we seek recognition and it was only for those I wanted to share it with that I derived benefit. I spent money like a bandit waiting to be caught. Women had shown me things that I could never have learned in books. I had been able to know others thoughts and dreams when I was close to them. They were in tune with me on many occasions inrepparttar 110700 same way. My father had told me such things were possible. He called it 'the pixie-mind' and told me he loved how women could flit from topic to topic knowing each others feelings and not having to beat a subject to death with intellect. I had much more to learn - and was eagerly awaiting all that life would bring. Still - very much in stillness - I knew my life had ‘quickened’ and taken a firm stand onrepparttar 110701 path towards Love and giving with no expectation of return. How could I accept his thesis that do-gooders pursue only self-gratification or Hegelian recognition?

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