A moment of revelation as the weather turns
The lights on the tree twinkled in Eira’s eyes as she laid beside it. She heard the murmur of her family chatting in the dining room, muffled Christmas tunes accompanying them.
It didn’t feel the same, however. The windows were frosted, but the lawn was still green. Fewer shoes sat in the hallway this year. There was too much food for her appetite.
Eira turned on her side with a sigh and another twinkling caught her eye. A small box wrapped in silver paper sat hidden behind the other presents, tucked under a low branch. She didn’t remember anyone carrying it in. Once she pulled it out from under the tree, her wonder grew. Her name was on the tag.
Her curiosity won. Quietly she lifted the box’s lid to reveal a simple snow globe. It was heavy, especially since she was trying to be careful not to break it.
The snow globe fit in her palms, the dome only a little bigger than some of the ornaments. Its base looked and felt like the bark of a tree. Inside the dome rested a tiny village and three snowmen. The village looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place it. The smallest snowman had a scarf exactly like hers, with the same red and white knitted pattern. Slowly she flipped it over to wind up the key; she wanted to know what song it would play. The first few notes of White Christmas trickled out as she turned the globe right side up again.
As the shimmering flecks of fake snow fell over the tiny village, blanketing the roofs and ground in a thin layer of white, Eira was brought back to her childhood. The sweet taste of hot chocolate and freshly made cookies after a long, cold day in the fresh snow. The anticipation for Christmas morning; she could almost smell the pancakes. Making snowmen with her parents and admiring the lights neighbours strung up.
She missed the way things had been, but most importantly the magic. She believed in Santa then, but it was so much more than that. She didn’t exist in the past or the future, she had simply enjoyed the present as only kids seem able to do. And the present had been cozy. Ending each holiday cuddled with her parents by the tree, surrounded by love. Something was missing now.
Eira gently shook the snow globe again and watched the flakes sway in the water on their way down once more, dancing to the melody still playing. Outside, flurries finally began to fall, whirling in the wind in their own waltz. She placed the globe down and rushed to the window, watching the first snowfall of the season.
In that moment she felt a calmness wash over her like a hug. The missing part felt whole again. She’d always have her memories, but the present could be just as good, just as full and merry. The love, the real magic, had never left her heart. Outside, colourful lights glowed against fluffy, white snow. Inside, the lights in the snow globe’s village shone just as bright.
This article was originally published in print Volume 24, Issue 4 on Thursday, December 5.
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