photo gish it's busy week when across copy this little story wrote decided perfect today's post typed found myself critiquing writing typical anyone creates looking back something they created long also fascinated this person then clearly connected i've become spite that changed resisted urge edit sharing with original version merry christmas christmas when eleven broke tradition instead dinner kennedy center christmas concert television then candlelight service church loaded wrapped packages skis skates into spent evening traveling north cabin drive that night dreamlike left darkness falling snow meet others driven before bitterly cold that car's heater couldn't sufficiently warm mother aunt lesley bundled tight back seat under sleeping felt like laura ingalls family during long winter traveling their horse-drawn sleigh with robes tucked around them pa's bear freezing into dozens tiny icicles urged team along while father concentrated identify curve road through flakes that flew suddenly dark toward windshield illuminated headlights mother aunt through long string christmas carols songs when time stop late dinner drove several dark restaurants before finally seeing pizza place that looked promising closing night manager desperation gave pizza someone else's wrong order back cold with lukewarm pizza laps slices being passed around felt surge contentment closeness family this adventure with small hardships blessings later northern michigan road took more curves dips drove miles time without seeing another saying word suddenly brother asked cold sleepy silence some countries nuclear bombs question seemed foreign context that peace seemed only taking desperateness clarity family very much together christmas scarcely heard words nuclear bomb before while don't recall mother's exact response know gentle frank possibility such power devastation terrified wanted stay that moment forever safely wedged between mother aunt under sleeping with father carefully navigating through snow brother beside seeming grown wanted remain together that small space traveling through snow woods dark silence christmas must have finally fallen asleep because suddenly unpaved roads leading cabin awoke with their gentle familiar rocking darkness around complete those snow-covered woods then glowing windows cabin through trees warmth family were waiting inside pulled into drive struggled fully awake from dream-like state christmas tree window earlier that uncle skied into woods down then covered branches with only candles dozens flickering lights like promise christ's birth tomorrow 