Once upon a time, in a small village nestled in the heart of the mountains, there lived a young girl named Lily. She was kind, gentle, and always willing to help others. She particularly loved helping her mom bake cookies for Christmas.
As Christmas Eve approached, Lily was getting ready to celebrate with her family. She was so looking forward to enjoying a festive meal with her family, exchanging presents with loved ones, sitting around the fire with grandpa, and awaiting the arrival of Santa in the morning.
Once all the preparations were complete, just as they were about to sit down for dinner, the phone rang.
Lily’s mom answered the phone and her eyes quickly swelled with tears as she looked lovingly toward her daughter.
Lily felt a lump in her throat. And even though she already knew what her mom was going to say, she was still unprepared to hear the words out loud—her best friend Emma’s mother had passed away from cancer.
Emma had been Lily’s best friend for as long as she could remember. Her mom had been sick for many months and was getting worse. She knew the time was late, but everyone had hoped she would live through Christmas.
Her passing on Christmas Eve was particularly devastating, even if it was not entirely unexpected.
Lily was heartbroken for her friend and knew that she needed support and comfort. Without hesitation, she asked her family if she could visit Emma on Christmas Eve. Her parents and siblings understood her desire to help her friend, and they agreed to let her go.
Lily bundled up in her warmest coat and set off through the snow-covered streets. When she arrived at Emma’s house, she found Emma and her father sitting by the fireplace, looking lost and alone. “Lily, I’m so glad you’re here,” Emma said, throwing her arms around her. “I’ve been feeling so alone without Mom.”
Lily hugged Emma tightly and did her best to offer words of comfort. She told Emma that she was not alone, and that she had people who cared about her and wanted to help her. Together, they spent the rest of the day sitting quietly, talking, crying, and reminiscing about Emma’s mother.
As the evening turned to night, Emma’s father thanked Lily for coming to visit. Her presence was a gift to the family, but time was getting late.
“Lily, you’re a true friend to Emma,” he said. “But I’m afraid you’re going to miss Santa’s presents if you stay much longer.”
But Lily didn’t care about the presents anymore. She knew Emma needed her more than anything, and she was determined to stay by her side as long as was needed.
As they sat by the fireplace, talking and laughing, Lily could see the weight lifting from Emma’s shoulders. And she knew that she had made the right decision.
When it was time for Lily to go home, Emma and her father thanked her profusely. “Lily, you are the best friend anyone could ask for,” Emma said. “Thank you for being here for me.”
“I’m just glad I could help,” Lily said, smiling. “Merry Christmas, Emma. I love you.”
As she walked home through the quiet, snow-covered streets, Lily heard a church bell ringing in the distance. The sound filled her with a sense of peace and comfort, and she knew that someone more important than Santa had been watching over her that night and smiling upon her.
And as she fell asleep that night, dreaming of a brighter future for Emma, Lily knew that the true joy of Christmas was not about receiving gifts, but about giving love and support to those who needed it most.
Heath Melrose says
Thank you for sharing this story. Have a wonderful Christmas season with your family.
Richard says
Very enlightening story for the Christmas celebration. Thank you. Have a happy Christmas.
Cynthia Adams Bodkin says
Lily gave the best gift she could give her friend, the love in her heart to ease the pain of her dear friend. We try to purchase the perfect gift for those we love but Lily realized she only needed to open her heart and give the gift of love. A very sweet and poignant story. Thank you for sharing.
Socrates says
True Friendships are critical in times of turmoil and during a loss of a loved one. Christians understand that time on earth is limited & can accept the loss and realize our spirit lives on in a better place if we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord & Savior. This is lost in todays secular consumerist environment that sadly starts in school, college & permeates through our government & unfortunately many homes. So Christmas becomes about Santa rather than celebrating the birth of Jesus and a rush for mostly mindless gift giving where many are re-gifted. My 2c & humble opinion before I get attacked & vilified by leftist socialists & commies running rampant last two years.
Sara says
This is the perfect story that I can read to my family on Christmas. Also, thank you for your gift that you give to all of us through your wisdom on becoming a minimalist. It has helped us to have a much more peaceful Christmas when we put people above things. Have a joyous Christmas and a blessed new year.
From
Sara in Long Beach Ca
Eric Ederer says
A very short story which is very heartwarming with a wonderful message! It says a great deal with a few words.
Jill KorrochMilner says
A line from a favorite song came to mind as I was reading this lovely story – God put a million, million doors in the world for His love to walk through, and one of those doors is you. May we all remember that this holiday season, and always. God bless you, Joshua!
Arlys says
A beautiful and uplifting story-just what we need at this time. Thank you.
Erika says
Sometimes WE are the gift! Thank you for the reminder….
Diane says
Beautiful .. thank you for the reminder
John P. Weiss says
“A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails.” -Donna Roberts