About a year ago I published a Christmas story to be read during one of those random gift exchanges, you know the kind where everyone brings a gift to exchange with another party guest. There are various ways to arrange the exchange, but one of my favorite is to read a story while guests sit next to each in a circle and pass the gift to the person on their right every time they hear the words RIGHT or WRIGHT, and left every time they hear the word LEFT. People can get confused and forget which way is right and which way is left, and it’s generally a good way to get the shyer guests to loosen up and have a good time. The story from last year is similar but not quite the same as this one. If you missed it last year, and would like to see it, you can find it here.

A CHRISTMAS EVE TO REMEMBER

It was a beautiful Christmas Eve.  The snow was falling.  Everything seemed just RIGHT for the evening. There was enough hot chocolate LEFT to share with Santa, RIGHT there along with the plate of cookies Mrs. Wright had LEFT by the fireplace.

Everything was so perfect, that Mr. and Mrs. WRIGHT decided it would be a great time to drive across town and deliver Grandmother WRIGHT’S Christmas gift. Grandmother WRIGHT had not LEFT her home for a week. She was down in bed, as a bout of flu had LEFT her RIGHT weak.

Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT LEFT RIGHT away in their bright red car.  They had just turned LEFT out of the driveway when Mrs. WRIGHT said to Mr. WRIGHT , “Oh my goodness! I LEFT Grandmother’s present RIGHT there on the kitchen counter.”

Mr.WRIGHT quickly turned RIGHT back into the driveway so fast that Mrs. WRIGHT was forced to lean LEFT as he did so. No harm done, though, and she hopped RIGHT out of the car and LEFT her door open. Heading quickly into the house, Mrs. WRIGHT said over her shoulder to Mr. WRIGHT, “I’ll be RIGHT back.”

Their dog, Snowball, who loved taking rides with Mr. WRIGHT in the car, saw the door open and ran and jumped RIGHT into the car, RIGHT over the front seat, and RIGHT into the back seat.About this time, Mrs. WRIGHT showed up with Grandmother’s present and said to Mr. WRIGHT, “It was RIGHT where I LEFT it! In the kitchen.”

Mrs. WRIGHT was surprised to see Snowball in the car.  Mrs. WRIGHT thought they had LEFT him in the backyard. However, Mr. WRIGHT had forgotten and LEFT the gate unlocked.  Mr. and Mrs. WRIGHT LEFT Snowball in the back seat of the car as they once again LEFT their driveway for Grandmother WRIGHT’S home.

As Mr. and Mrs. WRIGHT drove along enjoying the beautiful scenery they felt as if they had LEFT all their worries somewhere else.  It was Christmas Eve and they were surrounded, on both the RIGHT and LEFT with new falling snow. They were filled with that wonderful feeling that often comes at Christmas time.

Pretty soon Mr. WRIGHT’S car turned RIGHT onto Holly Street where Grandmother WRIGHT lived.  As they approached grandmother WRIGHT’S, they could see she had LEFT her porch light on as if she had been expecting them. It felt RIGHT chilly when they stepped out of the car. However, they LEFT their jackets in the car as they thought they would be RIGHT back.

They could see Grandmother WRIGHT peeking through the curtains as they walked up her steps. Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT were so relieved they had not LEFT grandmother WRIGHT’S gift at home. Snowball began to bark as he did not like being LEFT out of family outings.

Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT walked RIGHT up to the door and knocked. Snowball, who did not want to be LEFT alone in the car was RIGHT behind them. Grandmother WRIGHT must have been standing RIGHT by the door because she opened it RIGHT after they knocked. It LEFT them almost speechless to see Grandmother WRIGHT up and about.

Grandmother WRIGHT said, “What a wonderful surprise!” What she didn’t tell them was how she had been feeling RIGHT sorry for herself all day, thinking that she had been LEFT out of all the holiday celebrations because she’d been ill.

Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT were surprised too, and RIGHT happy at the same time to see that Grandmother WRIGHT had finally LEFT her bed. It was easy to see that her illness had not LEFT her weak, as she seemed RIGHT spry, too.

What a nice surprise for Grandmother WRIGHT. She had not been LEFT alone on Christmas Eve after all. Grandmother WRIGHT was so happy she wanted to celebrate what was LEFT of Christmas Eve. So Grandmother WRIGHT LEFT Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT and went RIGHT into the kitchen to stir up a pot of hot wassail.

She said, “I need my glasses to see this festive recipe, and I don’t RIGHTly remember where I LEFT them.” So the three of them LEFT the kitchen and looked all around to see where she might have LEFT them.Grandmother WRIGHT soon yelled out from her bedroom, “Well, here they are, RIGHT here where I LEFT them!”  Sure enough, they had been RIGHT there on her night stand where she had LEFT them.

While Grandmother WRIGHT checked to make sure she had all the RIGHT ingredients for the hot wassail, Mr. WRIGHT built a fire in the fireplace. It LEFT all of them with a warm festive feeling as they sat on the cozy stuffed sofa, listening to soft Christmas music and sipping their wassail, which Grandma WRIGHT served at just the RIGHT temperature.

Then Mr. WRIGHT LEFT for a minute to check on Snowball. He was fast asleep, RIGHT there on the doorstep where they had LEFT him. Mr. WRIGHT and Mrs. WRIGHT will never forget this special evening as they were LEFT with the true spirit of Christmas in their hearts. They knew they had done the RIGHT thing, by sharing their Christmas Eve with Grandmother WRIGHT.