Winter Wonderland

Six-year-old Joanie kept a secret box under her bed. After school, while her mother cooked dinner, Joanie excused herself to go play alone in her room. She rushed up the stairs and quickly shut her door, then dived under her bed and pulled out the worn cardboard box. Every time she lifted the lid she held her breath. Relieved to find the snowmen just where she'd left them, she exhaled.

She gingerly lifted her friendly winter family out of the box and set them aside. Then she removed the fluffy white blanket that she pretended was snow before arranging her snowmen on their wintery landscape. While she played, she softly sang "Frosty the Snowman" and let the snowmen celebrate Christmas no matter how warm the sun shone through her windows.

Joanie's mother sometimes tiptoed to her daughter's room and eased it open just a crack. She bit her lip as she watched Joanie re-enact her favorite Christmas moments and then she silently pulled the door closed again and gave Joanie a few more minutes before she called her down to dinner. She considered placing a small wrapped gift under the bed for Joanie to find. What would she think? Would Santa get credit? She wanted to prolong Joanie's joy with her snowy make-believe world, but she didn't want to ruin the magic. The snowmen were wonder enough.